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    nerve damage?? - no feeling in calf after femur fracture

    Hi ....im not sure this is in the right place or not!? i posted on the patient forum regarding my femur fracture and found everyone very helpful so thought i would seek advice about this related, but separate issue...

    I fractured my left femur 4 months ago and since the accident and surgery to insert an IM nail and screws. I have no real feeling in my calf of the broken leg, its like pins and needles, hypersensitive to some things and numb aswell...if that makes sense and it usually feels cold and sometimes painful.

    My OS says its nerve damage - but thats all he will give me!!! i wouldnt mind knowing which nerve??....the numbness is down the inside and front of my left calf. My femur is 6 mm longer due to the IM nail - not sure if that is relevant. Also, I have quite intense pain in my left buttock which has only started now that i am swimming, it hurts whilst swimming and when im lying/sitting down and go to stand up (with crutches) it takes a good minute or so to get used to it - I have been Non Weight Bearing on crutches for 4 months and only now just allowed to swim and ride a bike - still no walking though. Im not sure if its related as this buttock pain has only just started last week with exercise and ive had the 'numb' calf for 4 months.

    any input would be great on how to get the feeling back - my OS was very dismissive of it and said it would come back eventually, i think he is more concerned with the actual fracture.

    Thanks

    Kara

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    Re: nerve damage?? - no feeling in calf after femur fracture

    you probably damaged the sciatic nerve--- sounds like it could be the tibial portion of it... the sciatic nerve divides into the fibular and tibial nerves around the back of your knee...
    nerves regrow at a rate of about a millimeter a day... so you're in for a long recovery as far as the sensation issue goes... and there's really not much you can do to speed it along...
    as for the pain in the posterior hip, i suggest some PAIN-FREE stretching and whatever easy exercises your MD says you can do... if it persists, follow up with it... it's kind of difficult at this point to say what it could be without actually seeing you...

    good luck


    patrick



 
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