What are the chances of an arm being broken if it's not swollen or bruised?

[VivaLeBeaver]

dd fell over skiing last Friday and landed with her arm twisted under her. Lots of pain and crying resulted in being taken off the piste by blood wagon and to the French hospital. Dr prodded her arm, said it wasn't broken and didn't xray it.

She still can't use it or move it without shrieking in pain. Took her to hospital today, we,re back in uk. She now has a tiny bruise on her shoulder. They said she needs an xray so we've got to go back tomorrow when the xray dept is open.

Really hoping it's not broken.

Not a doctor so can't properly answer your Q, however when I was a kid I fell over at school and really hurt my arm. School nurse said it couldn't possibly be broken as I could still move it. It didn't swell either. 5 days later I had an x-ray and turned out I had a hairline fracture so ended up with 6 weeks in plaster.

I hope your DD is ok and not too sore.

I'm afraid it is possible to have fractured it without there being any signs of bruising or swelling.

DS broke the bone just above his elbow and we (school, DP and me) didn't think it was broken. We left it overnight but realised the next day that it wasn't right when he wasn't using it at all.

Have you tried getting her to use it without her realising IYSWIM or watched to see if she moves it when you're not looking. Thats one way of trying to suss out how much pain they are in.

Hope she is OK

I broke and dislocated my arm and there was no bruising or swelling. But i did wake the morning after doing it with my hand blue, in agony still and couldnt move it without extreme pain, so is quite possible. Poor kid. Give her some sweets from me! x

I fractured my wrist when I was 11 - no bruising or swelling. Did this on the Tuesday, by Friday was still very painful so went to GP who sent me up to hospital next morning to have it X-rayed. Came home with a lovely plaster cast!

DS fractured his wrist. I did the same as Norman he did it on the Saturday and i took him to the hospital on the Wednesday. Came back in a plaster cast. It was a 'buckle' or 'greenstick' fracture.

Yes, it most definitely can be broken.

If under the age of 9/10, breaks can heal fairly easily, over 9 and they're more serious, btw.

Poor kid - still, if it is broken, DD will probably be a great attraction at school... good luck and let us know the outcome!

more serious = badly phrased and not helpful.

I meant a break in a small kid heals more easily than the same sort of break in an older kid (but then older kids don't seem to break so easily).

Sorry, so tired I am clearly not making sense! Gd luck again!

Thanks everyone. She's not using it even when she thinks I'm not watching so I think she genuinely is in pain.

Will have to see what the xray shows. It's her writing arm as well, six weeks of not being able to use it won't be much fun. Will update after xray tomorrow.

DS2 had a 'soft cast' which was only one for 3 weeks and we cut it off with a pair of scissors after that.

*only on

We,re back. The radiographer and the nurse think her collar bone is broken but neither are 100% sure. They're emailing the xrays to the city hospital so a dr can review them. But the nurse says she's fairly sure its broken.

Viva. But at least you know.

That's true, and I think a collar bone probably isn't as bad as an arm.

DD has come home from school in tears after some boys barged into her and hurt her. DD shouted at them and was then told off by the teacher for shouting.

I think she will get some sort of velcro support type thing to keep everything in place so to speak. Your poor DD. And at the teacher.

I still feel bad for leaving DS2 with his fractured wrist for 4 days, but he is a bit of a drama queen TBH.

She's got a sling to keep it close to her, the nurse said thats all she needed.

Oh and when she broke her finger I left her for nearly 24 hours as the weather the next day was nice and we had a day out planned. So didn't take her until we got back and I knew it was broken as it was swollen and bruised. In my defence I did strap it up very well to the next finger.

How long will it take to heal?

Two weeks in a sling. Will need to go to fracture clinic for more info. Should be later this week.

How's your DD doing Viva?

Well I've just rung the hospital as I never got the expected phone call back to confirm the fracture. Apparantly its not broken.

DD is still ouching when she moves her arm but I think less than yesterday. So it looks like its pulled muscles so hopefully will be a lot better in a few days.

Thanks for asking about her Sparkling.

Well it's a bit crap they didn't ring you but good news for your DD.

Oh that's good to know it's not broken - hope DD feels better soon!