Arm broken Radial plate necessary?

[PhyllisDietrichson]

I really need some advice today if possible please.

I broke my arm on Wednesday, a bad combination of big shoes big step and a glass of wine. I've just been rung by the hospital to say I need a plate fitted. I'm really gutted about this, from what I could see the break across the bone looked to be well placed after traction and only about a millimetre Wide. Obviously the orthopaedic surgeon has recommended this plate but I'm absolutely terrified of operations needles hospitals etc and just wondered if any of you have got any experience of having an arm plate, why you had it fitted et cetera please offer helpful advice; the operation schedule for tomorrow morning thanks in advance.

I have two plates in my arm from breaking both ulna and radius so a plate on each.
It was the first time I had had an operation so was terrified but actually was ok in the end. The anaethetists were fabulous as obviously they are used to people being scared.
After the op the pain was really reduced so just had a week of ibuprofen and paracetamol. I did have physio after which helped with getting the movement back.
My radius healed perfectly well and relatively quickly but the ulna plate did break as the bone hadn't healed so had a second op and plate fitted. The ulna is a bigger bone hence taking longer to heal. This is rare but do be careful.
I had regular fracture clinic appointments and stays to check on the healing.
Hope all goes well!

Xrays not stays!

Yes, I've got a long plate and 7 screws in my humerus. It was fitted for a spiral fracture. It took a while to recover, but was complicated by also needing a bone graft, which accounted for a lot of the recovery time. Have to say I havent had a single moment's trouble from it in 20 years. I was offered a plate at the outset but I asked to wait to see if the bone would heal on its own. Wish I hadnt waited tbh.

When you say there is a mm gap, that may be only on one plane; sometimes a fracture can look perfect from one angle, but not reduced at all from another.

All the best, am sure it will be fine.

Oh and the plates don't set off the buzzers at airport security!

Feeling bolstered by yr replies, sounds like better off following advice of expert surgeons! But the needles

there's a bit more to fracture management than the bones looking lined up. The surgeon will be using their experience to decide about things like stability of the fracture (it may look lined up in one snapshot xray, but even with a cast some fractures aren't stable), whether there is shortening of the bone (which may have implications for the joints in your hand), whether the fracture is extending into a joint (and therefore that joint is at increased risk of arthritis), which hand it is (if it's your dominant arm then the implications of it all getting buggered up are greater), how close the fracture is to any major nerves (which may put them at risk). I suspect that if you (guessing your not an HCP from your post) can see a 1mm gap with no medical training, things probably are indeed worse than at first thought/hoped. I'd trust your surgeon.

Thanks walking, good advice. Nobody's told me not to have it done. I've just got to get over the whole idea of the pain/needle thing it'll be worth it in the long run.

Thanks for everyone's advice it's been very helpful.

There is good advice above but I will add that there are very few reasons that a wrist has to be fixed at all, nevermind with a plate. If you have strong preferences about surgery (it sounds as if you might) then I suggest asking for a face-to-face discussion with a surgeon about your options. Most hospitals will run a fracture clinic every day.