Cannot extend arm

[thefallen]

Hi,

I broke my left humerus just above the elbow in a spiral fracture on 20th August 2007. They put me in a "back slab" open cast for 1 week then a hanging plaster cast until 3rd January 2008!!!! It stayed in alignment that whole time but only showed signs of new callus forming in December. When they finally took the cast off they said that it only looked 50% healed but i have been using my arm a little more every day and can lift light things like cup etc ok with no pain.

The problem is I can hardly extend my arm either to close it or open it. I cannot use both hand to splash my face with water and can just feed myself with a fork if i really bend my wrist.... Does anyone know if this can be fixed with physio or will it stay like this forever?????

Thanks for reading x

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[Judith Mollet]

AAgh! As a physio trained in the NHS but out of the country now I feel Britain fails to do enough for patients!
OK, have you got a good physio? Find one, private if necc. What about the orthopaedic consultant??? What did they say apart from 50% healed? Have you diabetes or something that delays healing? Follow up appointment? Sorry to ask but I can't give a prognosis, sounds a bit disastrous.

[thefallen]

hi,

Thanks for replying. I have another appointment at the fracture clinic on the 30th Jan. When they took the cast off I asked about physio as I am sure the consultant i originally saw said i would need lots.. but he said that you don't normally have physio on the elbow??!? I said that the consultant had originally said otherwise and he changed his mind and referred me, although i have not heard from them to date and need to chase them up for an appointment.

My father is diabetic but they have never looked into why the break took so long to heal. They just said that it was because it was a bad break. They never give me much information at all really and it is only when i prise it out of them. I asked what would happen if the break still wasn't healing in the next few months and he said if it wasn't painful they would carry on leaving it alone and wait. Or if it hursts they might do a scan but didn't give me any more info on this.

Do you know what questions I should be asking at my next appointment?

Thanks for your time.

[Judith Mollet]

What happened at the doctors last week??
Did you get answers to questions?