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Post by Rick Laton on Aug 26, 2012 15:07:20 GMT -5
Trying to get some info for Kirt. I know there are MANY of you on here who have broken arms or know first hand of someone with experience. Please post some pros/cons of the plates/surgery versus no plates/no surgery. Any advice, words of encouragement I can give him will be appreciated. He's not a member of the board but I think that he will be looking at this thread. Thanks in advance.
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Post by Mike West on Aug 27, 2012 4:14:23 GMT -5
Rick, as I posted earlier, hopefully he won't need surgery. Surgery gets him back to using his arm quicker, but I actually talked to my doctor 2 weeks ago about the very subject while he was seeing me for my foot, he's the same doctor that worked on me 30 years ago when I broke mine.
I ask him if the bone is stronger with the plates or without, his answer "without plates", bones get stronger by being used, I believe he called it "Wolfs Law", stressed over and over over time, if the plates are supporting the bone they are taking the stress not the bone, plus the holes from the screws holding it together, if the plates are removed later you still have the holes that he says can lead to stress fractures.
With all that said, it all really depends on the break and the doctor working on him, if it can be set and casted, I'd do that, if not because of the break (it could be in pieces), then do the surgery.
Hope this helps, probably depressing to those that have had the surgery, but it is what it is, I'd suggest if your going to compete again with a plated arm, don't twist it next time, it's the twisting pressure you apply with your shoulder that breaks it when your hand and arm are being pulled the other direction, so "DON"T DO THAT".
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Post by CHRISTIAN BINNIE on Aug 27, 2012 7:59:49 GMT -5
OK, As most know I did my left in 97 at AAAs.
I broke mine on a Fri, got home, and saw my Dr Mon. I was scheduled for surgery on Thurs. I was x-rayed every day, and it appeared that the bones were healing together, so My Dr cancelled the surgery. HOWEVER, as most of you know me and seen my arm, it is very bent.....BUT, even though my Dr scheduled me for surgery, he didnt really want to do it, because metal ( plates and screws) put in, usually leads to post-op problems, so Mike W said above, and infections, and it takes longer to heal...Bones closer to the heart heal faster....
The only way a bone gets stronger, is by putting stress to the bone. Can a bone rebreak after it broke? YES.....
I was in and out of 3 casts and an arm brace in 8 weeks!
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Post by Jonathon Hoffmann on Aug 27, 2012 14:42:23 GMT -5
i broke mine 6 months ago and again last Friday. i should have been 100% but wasn't even close. the gap in the bone caused for a very slow healing time. i, just like brandon dye, will be getting surgery. the plates and screws will make the bone overall weaker. a rod, with no screws, will make the bone stronger and heal faster. reason being, the bone will be set perfect and directly on each other. the rod through the marrow means no screws to compromise the bone strength. the only down side is potential nerve damage.
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Post by Jeff Janes on Aug 27, 2012 15:30:35 GMT -5
I am almost 1 year out from my left mid humerus spiral fracture. The doctor didn't really give me an option given the length of the break and seperation. I was told by two doctors that the plate and 10 screws would heal up to actually be stronger than it ever was and that I would never break my arm again where the plate was and that the calcium build up around the plate creates a stronger bond than the bone by itself. Also have continual light elbow pain and shoulder discomfort that hasn't really improved over the past 6 months. I'm pulling again left handed but being dominant with that hand I can tell a huge difference in strength in my right compared to my left. My left in now much weaker but is getting small improvements. Your tricep will take 18 months to be back where it was before it broke if they go in that direction, at least thats what I was told. You also run the risk of severing your ulna nerve and losing function of your ring and pinky finger for a while. My surgery went well and I hope I improve over the next few months or I'm going for an mri to see what is still messed up.
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Post by David Owens on Aug 27, 2012 15:40:46 GMT -5
My wife has the plate and nine screws and we were told the same thing that her bone would be stronger and she would never break it there again, she has nerve damage that took a good six months to heal completely, since the break she has pulled 5 tournaments and won several of them and she does not train.
I don't really have an opinion on surgery vs no surgery but from what I have read and been told it seems like it really depends on the break
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