Hi this is my first post hope someone may have the answers im looking for any comments will be really helpful. 10 months ago i broke my wrist had k wires and a week later internal fixation . the swelling never went down and in feb i was told i had crps . i have no rotation of my wrist it is stuck , the xrays look perfect they tell me . im recieving phisio pain clinic and ocupational . but i feel so cross because i am sure its the metal in my wrist giving me this problem. im told it will make no difference as no surgeon will operate on me now . the doctors only seem interested in my pain and not what i think is the cause .
The following user gives a hug of support to missliz: HolyMoly (08-17-2012)
It is not at all unusual to use hardware for stability, and then for hardware to have to be removed, and then after that you would need physical therapy by a hand specialist. You probably need an MRI, but I personally would not trust your current doctors or medical group to be able to read one or to care.
Swelling ALWAYS means something is not right. You should have NO swelling ten months into recovery. You must be seen by a hand specialist as soon as it can be arranged. Maybe someone that knows how to deal with the system there will read and respond to help you. If you are on government health care, from all I have read you might need to go somewhere else to get proper care, I hate to have to tell you!
My radious and ulna were shattered at my wrist in a fall and had to be rebroken before the bone could be properly set, so doctors CAN fix those problems. I was given the choice of some type of 'glue' or a plate and screws for stabilizing the little pieces of bone in order to avoid a cast. I chose the plate and scres and so I was able to use a removeable splint. I was told upfront that the hardware may need to be removed. And while the tissue and bone healed nicely, sure enough, the hardware is causing pain, numbness, loss of movement and swelling.
Bone shrinks as it heals, and the tips of the tiny screws now are poking out of the bone into my wrist cartilage, and that causes swelling and cartilage damage. The plate and screws must be removed as soon as possible. I arranged to go get the hardware removed next month.
A board certified and liscenced hand specialist very well may be able to resolve your problems if you can get hold of one outside your medical system or group. I am getting mine done in a different state than the one in which I reside because the cost is much lower.
thank you for your quick response its lovely to get advice from people with same problems as we understand each other better. Ive got doctors next week and a hospital appointment and if i dont get any answers and new xrays which i have asked for yes its time i went somewhere else for a second opinion. Do you know if you can still have an mri with metal in your wrist because xray s not as good. lizzie
thank you for your quick response its lovely to get advice from people with same problems as we understand each other better. Ive got doctors next week and a hospital appointment and if i dont get any answers and new xrays which i have asked for yes its time i went somewhere else for a second opinion. Do you know if you can still have an mri with metal in your wrist because xray s not as good. lizzie
I just read your reply again and i get you, im a bit slow yes i need to go to another city . ive been feeling very paronoide as no one has been hearing me when i ask why are you only worried about the pain and not whats causing it. Thanks
Yes it depends on the type of metal.
I don't know what type i have. Maybe you can let us know if you find out about the metal you have and whether you can have an MRI with it.
hi holymoly had my hopital check up yesterday my concultant on holiday best news for me as i had a realy nice young registra instead , he showed me all my xrays and the reason why k wire not work bones where still to far apart to flex hand back and forth xray for internal fix old xray did look perfect , but has agreed to a ct scan which i am waiting for a appointment at last . then i will be able to get any second oppinion look at this for me keeping cost down as i dont have private insurance. said mri not a option. Its about £200.00 pound to get private doctor check me over which is a great idear ,just selling my car today hopefully wont be able to drive for a a long while . how are you doing , i think things are very different in the U S A do most people have health insurance
lizzie
I've had wrist issues for over 1 1/2 years. They did surgery and put in a plate, but it didn't fix the problem and I lost ROM that I had before surgery. I have had to seek out other opinions to get answers after the doc who did the surgery told me that my MRI and x-rays looked good and there was nothing wrong.
It is frustrating. Good for you for advocating for yourself though.
HI thanks for your post sorry to hear you got problems too, im still waiting for my results going to ring again on monday. its almost a year for me like this ,ive got some grip back in my fingers but no rotation i still dont belive its just stuck. lizzie
The Following User Says Thank You to missliz For This Useful Post: Troly59 (11-06-2012)
hi every one been to docs today and rang pain doc still no results ,but i really need your help i have crps from my broken wrist since january but over the last 3 weeks my pain has got worse the bones in my feet hurt and i have had 3 moments when ive not been able to put my left foot on the floor so for now im stuck in the house it feels like my left foot is broken , i recover in about an hour or so but im so scared as i can still feel its not right. ive managed to walk round the house but too scared to go out alone again.thank you for your time if you read my post lizzie
hi ct results junior doc say ulna may be a problem then he ask concultant who said it scar tissue nothing wrong with metal or ulna, but wont ever be able to move it without op to remove metal , wish i would be able to understand it myself better this is nhs . have done *** my test s and now wait for the date to remove internal fixation ,nurse gave me a crutch as i cant walk very well crps or just plain sciatica. thank you for your post should i get a second opinion lizzie
The following user gives a hug of support to missliz: MountainReader (10-25-2012)
I ended up seeing several orthopedic/hand specialists. I thought #2 had my answer, but the surgery he did on me in February didn't fix my original problem. I did tons and tons of research before going to my most recent specialist for another opinion. He was the one who found a tear that other docs had missed for 19 months. I'm having yet another surgery on November 20th.
I'd say that if you don't feel confident in what you are hearing that another opinion might be worth it. It sounds like you might be wanting to move forward to get your hardware moved though.
hi how are you doing happy new year . i had to go for a medical with the benifits office and they have told my doctor that he shouldnt write me any more sick notes , they have stopped my money and i have to go through the appeal process . i asked my doc for copies of all letters he had from hospital for my appeal . I wouldnt have ever seen this, dorsiflexion limited 15-20 subluxation of the distal radio ulna joint it may be dorsally dilocated and also one screw may well be too long on the plate ,wont be long now and i will be metal free . im so glad i had the ct scan. i have been spoken to so badly by phisio who told me i wasnt doing enough to get better .2013 i hope is going to be my recovery at last. thankyou for all your advice lizzie
I discovered right before my wrist arthroscopic surgery that the plate I had put in last February had already come loose. I got it removed when I had the other surgery and my pain is decreasing and I've gained a significant more amount of ROM than I had after my first surgery.
ok all you broken hand pros, I'm new here. I broke my ulna and radius almost 5 weeks ago. They set it twice and casted it. The swelling is so bad and I'm still in so much pain. Is this normal? I'm going for a second opinion tomorrow. With everything I read it seems like I should have had surgery. I know with the research I've done it says you can get back to your regular activities soon after surgery. Any thought?
The following user gives a hug of support to babyblues3: missliz (04-09-2013)
I just ran across your thread. I have been all over this site looking for some discussion of de-fixations and here it is. First off, MissLiz, have you had your de-fixation yet? Am I correct in surmising that you live in the UK and that your health system is slowing this process? Hope your rehabilitation continues smoothly and you don't encounter any new complications. Good Luck!
I just ran across your thread. I have been all over this site looking for some discussion of de-fixations and here it is. First off, MissLiz, have you had your de-fixation yet? Am I correct in surmising that you live in the UK and that your health system is slowing this process? Hope your rehabilitation continues smoothly and you don't encounter any new complications. Good Luck!
hi ive been trying to log in all day sorry ive not replied to my post . yes I live in the uk and the treatment is very slow I was promised December 2012 but have been told now june or july . we don't have much choice and I wont be getting any more phisio until after the op to remove metal , ive been told I have crps which local doctors know nothing about and think it all in your brain. Ive started getting pain in my hand and elbow on the other side but just tell me its stress . nice to hear from you I will now read all my post ive changed my password 3 times today and been locked out of the healthboard ha ha .
ok all you broken hand pros, I'm new here. I broke my ulna and radius almost 5 weeks ago. They set it twice and casted it. The swelling is so bad and I'm still in so much pain. Is this normal? I'm going for a second opinion tomorrow. With everything I read it seems like I should have had surgery. I know with the research I've done it says you can get back to your regular activities soon after surgery. Any thought?
hi sorry ive not replied hope you are doing better please let me know,
Re: How do i prove xrays of wrist wrong 
