Broken Bones & Surgery = Pins????

[BackcountryBetty]

So what's your experiance with broken bones? Did you need surgery? Doctor reccommend pins????? Just curiouse, as dirt bikers... we all end up with variouse broken bones at one time or another and I gotta wonder if the doctors are just trying to make an extra buck off me.... bones heal anyways with or with out pins/plates dont they???? (This is my first real broken bone, tail bones dont count.) I go in on the 7th for a consulatation with an ortho on my complex broken big toe bone (of all things) and would love any excuse to cancel! Some have told me they wished they had on their particular breaks and some have told me it probably didnt make a difference yet set them out longer on the heel time! What's your experiance been?

[rafartist]

Pictures, pictures damn it!!! I've got some hardware that was necessary at the time and Im still sportin it!

[MotoXRyne]

I broke my left arm in a couple different places and I had hardware put in. I don't think it would have lined up right without screwing it back together because one of the bones was in three pieces. I was only 15 when it happened so they took the hardware out 18 months later. Besides some wicked scars, I can't tell it was ever broken.

I also tore some ligaments in my wrist during the same wreck, didn't know those were messed up until after my arm healed enough so that I could start using it.. So I had to have that operated on too, but no hardware. That wrist is back to 100% too but it took tons of stretching and bending to get it back to normal.

[Halloween]

i have had hardware put in once before on the outside of my left foot and again some more put in when i broke the bottom of my left tibia at the ankle about a month ago. in the first case the outside off the foot gets very little blood flow which is needed to heal. there for it was either having a cast for longer than normal and still not being sure if the bone was all the way healed or putting a tap screw through the middle of the bone so it could heal gradually even while i was walking on it. in that case i had a rubber cast for a month and walked right after i got it off. the second case in my ankle they put screws in to maintain the integrity of the joint. the bone would heal in time, but it might do so leaving more room in the joint than you would want causing problems. the pins were put in a month ago and i am walking but not 100%, still way quicker than 3 months in a cast if i didnt get it pinned. i cant run or walk long distances yet without some swelling but at least i am back messing around on my supermotard. would definitely be a fan of hardware if its recommended but having said that, i broke my big toe right behind the second joint years ago, got it casted and have no problems with it. surgery was not recommended in this case so id still say the doctor knows best, get a second opinion if in doubt. good luck

[Fr333zy]

I had a shattered wrist a few years ago. I completely obliterated my scaphoid (navicular) on my right wrist. I unfortunately didn't know it was broken for 9 months (pain wasn't too bad, still had full range of motion).

After a while though, I couldn't even lift a water bottle, and ended up getting an Xray. I needed 2 bone grafts from my hips, as well as 9 months in a cast, and 9 months of Exogen therapy (it's a $3000 device that uses low frequency sound waves to stimulate bone growth). I'm better now, but it was such a pain.

I've broken about 11 bones between snowboarding and MX, including my little toe on my left foot about 4 times. Never had pings or surgery for it, just taped it to it's bros and ran it. It heals in about 3-5 weeks, though your break sounds more serious.

[rider152]

I have shattered my wrist and broke both bones in my arm at the same time...I had two plates in my arm and four pins. had all hardware removed and feels pretty good after a few years..I broke both bones in my leg and had two plates installed there...they are still there and bug me...your doc knows whats good for you...get it fixed right because you do feel it when you get older..

[Lego70]

I broke my left tibia (shin bone) at work in a tree accident last year. 3 out of 5 doctors that looked at my leg wanted to pin it, but me and two of the other doctors thought it didn't need it. It was a 10 centimeter spiral break, but looked pretty aligned. I guess the pros of useing the pins was that I would be able to start trying to walk in about 4-6 weeks and the bone would be competely aligned. The cons are that the bone grows back strong but only as much as needed and the pins kind of baby that process. Kinda like if you leave the stakes on a young tree too long, the trunk and root system don't grow as strong because they are used to the stakes for additional support. Don't know how true that is, because the "pin debate" is like the which "brand of oil debate". You get a thousand different answers. For me I had the entire leg cast taken off two months later, then wore a short leg cast for another month. I was walking in about 3 months, climbing trees again (without gaffs and very slowly) in about 6 months. Now a year later, I'm back to jogging, can jump, climb and do everything I did before. The only thing I notice is that sometimes I still get slight ghost pains and my knee and ankle swell after jogging. Two different Doctors told me the ghost pains would go away in another year or two and that I might always have a little problem with the ankle and knee, but that it too should get a little better in a year or two. To answer your question, listen to the different Doctors and try to make a educated guess? It all comes down to you because you have the final say so. Good luck, hope it works out good. A year later I feel pretty good about the outcome.

[todthebod]

From my experiences the bones that I had pinned and plated came out better in the long run.

[mxkid12]

I broke my hip and I needed two screws and various surgeries etc. What stinks if you dont have insurance, my screws cost $7,000 each! (good thing we have insurance:thumbsup: )

[2smoke4Life]

broke my humorus and now have 4 screws (titanium)

[manson3161]

I broke a toe last year riding, I didnt know it was broke thought it was just bruised and sore. it doesnt hurt anymore and works but it doesnt look the same

[crf150f guy]

I broke:

1. right pinky toe=buddy taping

2. minor right ring finger fracture= buddy taping/splint

3. left collarbone= sling and lots of doctors visits.

luckily none of my brakes needed surgery.

[TWOWHEELTOM]

I did something similar to what FR333ZY did. But I only waited about a week to have my wrist checked out. Turned out to be pretty badly broken, a tivanium (not Titanium) I still dont know what that is....screw later, and its better, not good but better (I did this about 10 years ago. still sporting the screw. Makes me wonder though....didnt Villapoto break the same bone? I believe they just removed his. His healing time was WAY reduced....was it money? Or did they come up with a better way to treat that particular break? Either way, do what the Doc says....he went to school for this stuff. We are all just dirt bikers...haha

Tom

[biker boy]

broke my ankle last year... got 9 screws and a plate... and the chance to sit on the couch and do nothing for a few months

im getting them out in about 5 months... only effect i really have now is i dont have much feeling in half my foot cause the nerves got damaged when the bone broke

[shanes]

45 breaks and fractures , 16 screws and 2 plates in lower right leg , 3 screws in right knee , 2 screws in left knee , 4 pins and 2 screws in right wrist , 2 screws and a load of wire in left elbow thats about it .

[TWOWHEELTOM]

you must not be very good.....just kidding! I think you win shanes!

[Lego70]

45 breaks and fractures , 16 screws and 2 plates in lower right leg , 3 screws in right knee , 2 screws in left knee , 4 pins and 2 screws in right wrist , 2 screws and a load of wire in left elbow thats about it .

Ouch! That hurt just reading that.......

[xr650rkyle]

My Story:

Vertical 2" Crack, upper left tibia 18 mo's ago.

Went to ER and xrays showed bone was still very much lined up, just just cracked. Even Xray tech said that should heal quickly! Well, ER Doctor did not know what to do and called for Ortho Doc, he showed up and said it could use surgery. Not knowing any better i said OK. Plated the next day, 7 screws and out 3 months.

In My thinking now, I WOULD HAVE NEVER SAID OK TO THE SURGERY, BECAUSE THE BONE COULD HAVE JUST BEEN CASTED FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME!!! AND WITH A LOT LESS TRAUMA TO MY LEG AND BODY!

FINALLY, last week went in for surgery to remove the screws/plate because I was have varicos viens popping up on my leg do to circulation problems caused by the plate/screws. SO, I have to wait another 3-4 weeks for my leg to heal from having the hardware taken out!

Look, I broke my leg REALLY badly in the 1980's in a snow skiing accident and all they did was put me in a new cast every 6 weeks for 4.5 months and my body healed itself! With no complications AT ALL.

NOWDAYS, THE TREND IS TO PLATE/PIN FIRST $$$

CASTING DOES NOT PULL IN THE BUCKS!

I think using am Electric Drill and drilling into perfectly good bone and putting is screws is barbaric. Remember 7th grade woodshop?

* It is needed in some special cases where the bone is REALLY BAD and in multiple pieces, all over the place and as a last result, surgery is needed.

SURGERY SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST STOP IN FIXING YOUR BROKEN BONE!

IF YOUR BONE IS STILL PRETTY LINED UP AND NOT CRACKED UP TO BADLY JUST HAVE IT CASTED, YOUR BODY WILL HEAL ITSELF!

My thoughts on today's medicine!