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General health

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Original poster

Broken wrist - how long will it take to heal?

17 replies

roisin · 01/06/2006 14:54

DS2 broke his wrist on Tuesday eve.

Though it took 14 hrs before his neglectful parents believed him sufficiently to take him to A&E
He was plastered on Wednesday morning, and has also got "some damage" to his elbow. Atm this means he has to continue to wear a sling until he has been re-assessed by the local fracture clinic.

How long might we anticipate him being in plaster?
Presuming his elbow is OK, will he soon be able to "do stuff" with his damaged arm?
(In typical pushy parent mode I am thinking primarily of piano and swimming lessons!)

OP posts:

tissy · 01/06/2006 14:59

how old is he?

LadyCodofCOdford · 01/06/2006 15:00

erm roisin
give his a break!

Kelly1978 · 01/06/2006 15:09

my bro did this when he skateboarded down a hill aged about 8. Parents were out for the day, and I took him to A & E, where they put a splint on it (half a cast) and he had to go back a few days later to have a full cast put on. My parents didn't believe me until I showed them the appointment card! It took him 6 weeks to heal, but it does depend on where the break is, can take up to 6 months.

SueW · 01/06/2006 15:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

Original poster

roisin · 01/06/2006 16:55

Hiya - sorry I was ousted from the PC by the boys!

Thanks for all the advice.

Cod!

We've made an appointment at the fracture clinic for Monday morning. The A&E report says something about "fat pad" on elbow - so that may be similar SueW.

I've sent him off (with dh ) to his piano lesson, as that's been paid for, with instructions that he can do theory or RH only playing.

OP posts:

bogwobbit · 01/06/2006 16:58

My ds broke his wrist last year and I think it was in a plaster for about 6, maybe 7 weeksbut his was a bad break that needed operated on and pins put in, so may not be as long as that. Think he still had to be careful with his wrist for a couple of weeks after that i.e. don't do sport etc, but he's right as rain now.

tissy · 01/06/2006 20:15

"fat pad" just means that some bleeding somewhere in the elbow has displaced a fat pad, which is visible as a dark shadow on an Xray. It doesn't mean that anything is necessarily broken, and is seriously overrated by A+E staff!

If he doesn't have much in the way of swelling, bruising or pain in the elbow, there won't be much wrong with it.

Do think you could give the swimming lessons a rest till he's out of plaster, though. It's not easy to swim with one arm, and anyway, you'll have to shell out for one of those cast covers, and it's hardly worth it for a couple of weeks (which is all it might be).

Original poster

roisin · 01/06/2006 20:58

Swimming lessons are definitely off the plan Tissy - I was joking
He's 7 and is a good swimmer, but is very skinny, so has to work hard in the pool. He's in the deep end, and I think he'd drown if he only had one arm

His elbow is still visibly swollen and painful. Both the SHO at A&E and I presumed that the elbow was the injury rather than the wrist. But from SueW's experience I guess a few days rest with the sling on should sort it out.

OP posts:

SueW · 02/06/2006 08:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

KateF · 02/06/2006 08:42

Simple fractures take 4-6 weeks to heal but may need some physio if there is stiffness. Elbows can be complicated so wouldn't like to comment. Often after time in a cast or sling there is restricted movement but some physio should sort it out if there is no underlying injury.

tissy · 02/06/2006 13:13

In a 7 year old most simple fractures heal in around 3-4 weeks.

Kids rarely need physio for wrist stiffness, and elbow physio can be positively harmful!

I would now be more worried about the elbow, since roisin has said it is visibly swollen and painful. Definitely keep the sling till seen in the fracture clinic.

Original poster

roisin · 02/06/2006 13:45

Fracture clinic is not til Monday, but he seems OK if a little subdued. He tends to say it's aching after about 6 hrs so we are carrying on giving him calpol.

I presume you're a medic of some description Tissy? If children's simple fractures heal in around 3-4 wks, do they take the plaster off that quick? I hope so!

OP posts:

Original poster

roisin · 02/06/2006 13:47

We've actually got the X-rays here as we have to take them to the fracture clinic. But I can't see anything on them at all

OP posts:

tissy · 02/06/2006 13:48

Plasters often come off that quick, if the bone underneath is just cracked. Tends to be a wee bit longer if any manipulation has been necessary.

Original poster

roisin · 02/06/2006 14:18

Oh that's great to hear Tissy - thanks.
It is just a crack apparently: so as long as the elbow's OK he could be back in action before too long.

OP posts:

Original poster

roisin · 19/06/2006 20:26

Plaster off today - just 3 weeks from doing it, so that's great

Dr not happy about his elbow still, so we have to keep an eye on it; and he's instructed him for 3 months to stay off PE, not to do bike riding, swingparks, tree-climbing etc. It's a bit of a pain, and ds2 is none too happy about it, but apparently if you damage elbows again at this point when they haven't quite sorted themselves out, then you can end up with a big problem. So we're going to have an unadventurous summer ... I hope!

OP posts:

granarybeck · 20/06/2006 13:36

Roisin, glad your ds is ok. hope you don't mind but just wanted to hijack and ask tissy why elbow physio was harmful?

I've broken my elbow and fracture clinic doc said will need lots of physio, so just wanted to check your concerns. Can just imagine the argument of 'well someone on mn said..' when he next suggests it!

Hope your ds finds some non adventurous things to fill his summer roisin

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