Status update #3
May 1
"My" thread was sinking too low in the trip reports so I figured that I should add something to get back near the top...
Just had a visit to the docs yesterday and have some good news.
I'll start with an updated version of the log for context (I don't expect anybody to remember the details) and then fill in the new events.
Log:
* Day 0: Crash. Injuries: femoral neck fracture, distal femur fracture (just above the knee), wrist fracture, all on the left side.
* Day 0: transported to Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, NH
* Day 1: operation (#1) on femoral neck (stabilized with 2 screws) and operation (#2) on distal femur (pin placed in femur)
* Day 4: wrist cast
* Day 5: released to my home in fairly good shape
* Day 10: knee starts swelling, painful, limited flexibility. Eventually a bump forms on the side...
* Day 16: Cause of knee problem found--a screw securing the femoral pin is backing itself out
* Day 17: operation (#3) on wrist to install plate and remove errant screw
* Day 24: operation (#4): Pin in femur replaced
* Day 28: released
* Day 43: brace removed from wrist
The last update was on day 50, today is day 79. During much of this time, I was doing home PT, etc. I also figured out how to get down the front porch stairs on my own (crab walking/sitting using 1 foot, 1 hand, one arm, and my tail ) so I could get out to my mailbox on my own...
Yesterday (day 78), I saw both the wrist and leg docs. The results are:
Wrist:
* Cleared for no force limitations.
* The range of motion and strength are still less than normal, but both should improve in time with a bit of stretching, exercise, and normal use.
* Have good use of the hand.
* No PT planned.
* Will probably take a year or so to become completely normal.
Leg:
* The bone is healing well--I was cleared to put full weight on leg.
* Range of mortion in the hip is good, strength varies with direction of movement.
* Range of motion of knee is very limited, quads still rather weak.
* I can put most, but not quite all of my weight on the leg, this should improve shortly and I hope to be walking (slowly) soon.
* Still using the walker, but I can also use crutches at least for short distances. Can't use a cane yet.
* Starting outpatient PT soon.
* Arthroscopic surgery to break up the scar tissue in the knee may be needed.
So, all in all, some good progress but still more to do.
Thanks again to all who have given me a hand.
Doug
PS. If anyone is interested in the the technicalities, I found an online orthopaedic textbook which I found very helpful. Here are some URLs:
Femoral shaft fracture menu:
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/femoral_shaft_fracture
Distal femoral shaft fractures:
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/distal_femoral_shaft_fractures
Retrograde nailing of femoral shaft fractures:
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/retrograde_nailing_of_femoral_shaft_frx
Intra-articular retrograde nail insertion for femoral fractures:
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/intra_articular_retrograde_nail_insertion_for_femoral_frx
(I'm having trouble finding the reference for the work that was done on the femoral neck fracture--two parallel screws were used to reduce the fracture. I'll edit in a better URL later. )
For the moment, here is the index page:
Fractures of the femoral neck
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/fractures_of_the_femoral_neck
