query about fracture

[cricketballs]

my ds (has learning difficulties and is on the autistic spectrum) has a very high pain threshold, for example he had finger in a door when it was slammed shut, didn't complain, played table tennis in the afternoon and the next day when I saw that it was grey took him a walk in centre to find out it was broken!

Last night whilst at a party, he tripped up dh who fell on him. He complained that his ankle was sore, but moving around on it, didn't want to leave the party and carried on playing. This morning it looked swollen and he was complaining it hurt and was limping.

I have taken him to the walk in centre (a lot closer to us than A&E but is staffed by senior nurses only, no doctors) and they have xrayed him. There is a query if there is a fracture of if it is where his bone has not fully fused yet (he is 13 tomorrow!). They did say that normally if there was this query then they would cast it whilst waiting for the 'hot report' of the xray to be completed (this is for someone with more expertise to view it as a matter of priority) but due to his history they didn't think that he could cope with crutches which I do agree with.

I was told that if I didn't hear from them in 7 days then it is a soft tissue injury and not a fracture, but if it is a fracture then they will call us back to have a cast.

I am concerned though as it is this long bank holiday weekend that if it is a fracture then he is causing more damage to it by being able to move it around/nothing to stabilise it as they have not dressed it at all.

I have google it and the fact he is walking is not unusual for ankle fractures as it depends on where it is/how many bones fractured etc.

Any advice?

some fractures are left without a cast in children, I think it depends on the fracture etc. Im pretty sure if they were worried they would have sent you to A&E there and then. I would suggest just to encourage him to elevate it to help with swelling and circulation. hope either way he is ok. x

Just answered on your other thread, but basically, I broke my ankle a the year before last and it was missed at the first hospital. Walked around on it for 13 days and was then sent to a different hospital by my GP, where they found the break straight away. First hospital took 3 xray angles - second took around 9.

I was in an aircast for around 9/10 weeks, but was told it would have been less if the break had been immobilised sooner after the injury occurred.

Also, I have a ds with AS and if he says something hurts we tend to assume the worst, as he also has a really high pain threshold. So given that your ds was complaining and limping I'd want it double checked.

I would add though that the worst of my pain was from the accompanying sprain, so soft tissue, tendon and ligament damage. They were far more painful than the actual broken bone and I was told this is fairly common, so it could possibly be that there isn't a break but it's still incredibly painful.

oh dear 4 weeks ago we had some thing similar ds 9 with AS to we was at a football tournament the ball hit is arm he never said anything only it hurt a little played rest of game took him to medics they checked him over moved it around distracted him pressed on his arm them said no broken or hr would have jumped through roof in pain, we listened to them next day ds played two half more games of footie but had to come off with it hurting i did tell manger there must be some thing wrong as he never complains, anyway took him to hospital they didn't find it sent to am other with xrays told ds as really bad brake he stood there smiling at them touching it. but now still unstable due to not getting it in plaster my point is take him to a&e if you still concerned, ds had x rays every day for first 5 days of us finding out. hope hes ok