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5th Metatarsal Break...or "simple" sprain???

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Emily143, Sep 19, 2008.


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    With regards to the bone growth medicine, I read it somewhere on this Forum. But I wasn't able to find it on this thread, perhaps another thread? I was surprised myself...that's why I asked the question.
     
  2. With regards to the local anesthesia: how is that performed exactly? Sedation, how, what, where? Anything else I should know about local anesthesia in my case? Should I find someone that IS knowledgeable with local anesthesia, or should I just follow his guidance, and go for it?

    He seems to think that I am not going to heal. That's after 6 weeks since the incident. Does True Jones fracture if left immobilized will ultimately heal? Considering there has been no bone rotation, that it is a clean break, and that the gap is only 1.5 mm at most what are my chances to be healed within 4 weeks, 8 weeks? Is the healing typically slowing down more and more as time goes by? What did they do 200 years ago? A human's got to heal bones somehow even if it's going to take a while, no? I am just trying to get a "second opinion" here, as he seems a bit surgery happy perhaps? From the purely human reconstruction elegance stand point, I just don't understand how I am going to heal any better with most blood marrow gone, a whole bunch of blood vessels destroyed, etc...? Unless, once the screw is in there I am say 95% overnight? What if the screw is slightly bigger than the inner diameter of the bone, ever so slightly that it cracks the bone lengthwise and weakens it? Then one would not be 95% repaired overnight, would he?
    What is your experience with this kind of surgery? What should I expect? He says he has performed just a few, like 20 to 30 in his career? Your thoughts please.
    Thanks
     
  3. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    DISCLAIMER:
    THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS-ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
    ***************************************************
    Local anesthesia is effected by either a nerve block or by infiltration into the area of the surgery or sometimes both. Sedation is employed at the discretion of the surgeon or as per the wishes of the patient. I am very comfortable using local anesthesia and am confident in achieving a block which will allow me to perform the surgery while affording the patient comfort and absence of pain. In most cases I do not employ sedation, as I have achieved the confidence of the patient and once the patient sees that he/she will not have pain, both of us enjoy being able to talk with each other during the procedure. I have had to convert to general anesthesia during a procedure only once in my long career, and that was due to an inordinate intra-operative rise in blood pressure.

    Due to the natural relative sparsity in circulation in the area of a Jones fracture, it is difficult to predict with assurance when total healing will take place, however statistically the fracture heals quicker and better with internal fixation. I'm sure that a competent surgeon will select a screw of the proper size and place it properly. I don't have any idea of what you mean by "95% overnight." The person whom you should be asking what you should expect is the doctor who is to perform the surgery. It is HIS experience that matters, not mine. I would think that if has performed 20 or 30 such surgery that he has sufficient experience at it and can give you a good idea of what to expect in his hands.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2010
  4. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I Broke i think it was 3 of the metatarsals in my right foot about 3 months ago. Now just yesterday I managed to fall (Skateboarding) and twist the same foot again, It isnt as swollen but it does hurt, i can walk and bend my toes up and down, although bending them down is painless however when bending my toes up it begins to hurt the further i go, but i can still manage. I have a feeling I re-fractured either one or two of my metatarsals, however again its not as bad as it was the first time I did it, could it be a sprain or bad tweak of any kind? thanks.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2010
  5. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    You've already stated that you think you broke a couple of bones and that you've had the experiencing of breaking them before. So I would think that the only way you will know for sure is by seeing a doctor for an evaluation and x-rays. What it COULD be is not going to be helpful toward that end.
     
  6. thanks I am on my way to the ortho doctor shortly and going to try to get some clarification further on jones fracture and avulsion fracture. I was told at Urgenr care had avulsion fracture splinted and ortho put me in a cast for 3 weeks. Ortho looked at X rays told me I had a mess I did not know what questions to ask. Ortho took me out of cast gave me an air cast (pointless) later got a walking boot hard to put all weight down and lots of swelling on the top of the foot had MRI done think it was of the foot only and from what I have been reading may need MRI of the ankle. injury happenned Sept 18th rolled right foot complete 360 when fell into a ditch. I need some answers and pain relief after this appointment may get s second opionion guess first thing I need to do is ask good questions and find out what exactly I had he took me out of cast after 3 weeks because I developed cast foot and could not feel my 3 little toes.
     
  7. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Foot doc,
    A year and a half ago I fell while wearing heels and my little toe was bent the wrong way. The following morning my toe was red, swollen and painful. I thought it was a small sprain and so I left it, without going to the doctor, and now 18 months on little has changed. It is chronically slightly bigger than the 5th toe on the opposite foot and is always red. It is extremely painful when I am walking on uneven surfaces or up or down hills. It is made significantly worse if I wear shoes that are too tight or heels, so I avoid them. There is a bony lump around the 5th MTP joint that is quite painful, and now the 4th metatarsel is beginning to get quite painful. Would you say it is a sprain or a fracture that never healed? I only had minimal swelling at the time of injury so I did not think it was a fracture.
    Thank you
     
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