Anyone know how to read an X-ray? Pic included.

[njshep]

this is my fibula fracture X-ray after 6 weeks. Almost no change from original. Was put in aircast. Radiologist says they have never seen a fracture like this.
For anyone that can interpret X-rays, is it acceptable to keep a bone like this?

What did the fracture clinic or orthopaedic surgeon advise?

Well that looks nasty, i cant see how the fragment is going to heal, let alone the main break without some fixation mechanism. If you are in an air cast and they are just proposing for you to continue with that, I would be asking for a second opinion at a different hospital.

In case it helps, reading some of this might be helpful

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Fibular_Fracture#:~:text=Distal%20fibular%20fractures%20will%20predominantly,be%20followed%20with%20excellent%20results.

I have been in an email air cast for 6 weeks.see ortho in a couple weeks.

Are you weight bearing? I would ask for an immediate review and not put my foot to the ground until I had been seen

I had a similar fracture (mine was trimalleolar, so it was my tibia) and it required surgery with a surgical plate and screws put in.

I don't see how a fracture like your could heal 'on its own'. The position of the fractured bone isn't going to change. It's not going to 'grow together' and heal like correctly set fractures do.

I'm in the US so not sure how you'd proceed under the NHS, but here we'd make an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon for evaluation and hopefully surgical repair.

I am weight bearing minimally . It’s been over 6 weeks. The concern is that this recent X-ray shows no change to the lateral bone fragment.

i had a similar # along with 4th degree tendon tear and had 8 pins and a plate mainly because i'm very active, non smoker, have no comorbidities and do very well under anesthetic. injury at 6pm, ortho specialist at 8am, surgery by noon.
my friend had a similar # and for her the dr felt conservative treatment was best, which meant a long long while in a cast.
i've seen collar bone # with more dislocation treated conservatively with only an arm sling.

it really looks like it needs pinned into place to allow it to heal

I’ve not a medical background but that looks awful and so painful. You have my sympathy.