[MarkJerling]

Thanks guys.

We were up very late with all this. The doctors set the break and put on a splint last night, and sent her home. Today we need to follow up with a surgeon or podiatrist, the discharge paperwork isn't really clear.

Mrs. Racer hasn't kept in shape, and doesn't have good upper body strength, making it difficult for her to get about with crutches. We had a difficult time getting her out of the car, into the house and into bed.

This is going to be a long six to eight weeks.

Uf da!

See if you can get one of these funded. Works so, so much better than crutches. A friend of mine used one of these when he had foot surgery.
By us, of course, fully funded.
amazon.com: KneeRover?tag=pentaxforums-20&

[lesmore49]

Thanks guys.

We were up very late with all this. The doctors set the break and put on a splint last night, and sent her home. Today we need to follow up with a surgeon or podiatrist, the discharge paperwork isn't really clear.

Mrs. Racer hasn't kept in shape, and doesn't have good upper body strength, making it difficult for her to get about with crutches. We had a difficult time getting her out of the car, into the house and into bed.

This is going to be a long six to eight weeks.

Uf da!

Sorry to read about this, Racer. My wife broke her ankle twice (different ankles)....about 27 years ago, then about 20 years ago. Bad breaks both of them. She used both crutches and a wheelchair...the wheelchair to get around the house..we live in a bungalow.

Surgery required both times. First time, both our kids were under 10 years of age.

Best advice I can give, is for your wife to listen to the doctors...and follow all directions.

[Racer X 69]

Sorry to read about this, Racer. My wife broke her ankle twice (different ankles)....about 27 years ago, then about 20 years ago. Bad breaks both of them. She used both crutches and a wheelchair...the wheelchair to get around the house..we live in a bungalow.

Surgery required both times. First time, both our kids were under 10 years of age.

Best advice I can give, is for your wife to listen to the doctors...and follow all directions.

Thanks #2.

[Racer X 69]

See if you can get one of these funded. Works so, so much better than crutches. A friend of mine used one of these when he had foot surgery.
By us, of course, fully funded.
amazon.com: KneeRover?tag=pentaxforums-20&

The splint goes from mid thigh all the way past her toes, so she can't ride about on her knee. I think the location and nature of the fractures, and how many, require the knee be immobile also.

So a kick n go knee scooter wouldn't work.

I had several of the scooters during the various times I had foot surgeries. The really improved mobility, although I still kept my forearm crutches handy.



She sees a surgeon Thursday.


I picked up her prescriptions today, and picked up a wheelchair for her. It is helping immensely.

I fixed us some bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut on french rolls for lunch, with some fresh strawberries for dessert. Then I helped her bathe, and dress with fresh clothes. She had a pain pill, and is napping peacefully.

Me?

It's two hours past my bedtime, and I'm thinking another day of vacation might be in order.

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Last edited by Racer X 69; 08-15-2022 at 08:38 PM.

[Racer X 69]

So I read Mrs. Racer's release notes, plugged the ER doctor's comment into DuckDuckGo, and found a picture of what it takes to repair this type of fractures.




She is going to be like me, stainless steel, titanium, nitinol, etc.

[Racer X 69]

For #1.

[tim60]

See if you can get one of these funded. Works so, so much better than crutches. A friend of mine used one of these when he had foot surgery.
By us, of course, fully funded.
amazon.com: KneeRover?tag=pentaxforums-20&

Racer probably has one of them. He showed us pictures when he was having his foot repaired. Probably out in the shed or yard with the other vehicles.

[RoxnDox]

Wow, Mrs Racer certainly wacked herself up pretty bad there. Hopefully the repairs and rehab go well (as much that's possible)!

[MarkJerling]

The splint goes from mid thigh all the way past her toes, so she can't ride about on her knee. I think the location and nature of the fractures, and how many, require the knee be immobile also.

So a kick n go knee scooter wouldn't work.

I had several of the scooters during the various times I had foot surgeries. The really improved mobility, although I still kept my forearm crutches handy.



She sees a surgeon Thursday.


I picked up her prescriptions today, and picked up a wheelchair for her. It is helping immensely.

I fixed us some bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut on french rolls for lunch, with some fresh strawberries for dessert. Then I helped her bathe, and dress with fresh clothes. She had a pain pill, and is napping peacefully.

Me?

It's two hours past my bedtime, and I'm thinking another day of vacation might be in order.

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like a real bad break if they have her in a cast so far up the leg.
Good luck!

[Racer X 69]

Wow, Mrs Racer certainly wacked herself up pretty bad there. Hopefully the repairs and rehab go well (as much that's possible)!

Thanks Jim.

[Racer X 69]

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like a real bad break if they have her in a cast so far up the leg.
Good luck!

I wasn’t at the ER when they were taking pictures and doing ultrasound, nor did I get a chance to chat with the doctor, but the type of break (sorry, I forget the name now) is at the lower end of both the tibia and fibula, and possibly one (or more) of the bones in the ankle. She twisted her ankle, then her weight bore down on the bones, and the leg bones sheared nearly vertically. I saw at least one of the pointed pieces pushing up under the skin and knew then it was a complex fracture.

She is doing pretty good today, in high spirits, eager to get the consult and surgery over, and begin recovery.

The wheelchair has been a great improvement over the crutches, she even got out of bed and went to the bathroom on her own this morning.

[Racer X 69]

Racer probably has one of them. He showed us pictures when he was having his foot repaired. Probably out in the shed or yard with the other vehicles.

I only rented them (the insurance actually covered them). I had several different models, some basic, others quite well equipped. One broke, a very poorly welded frame the cause.

One had larger, pneumatic tires, and hand brakes. The front axle was quite a bit wider than the rear, and it handled very well. I took to making laps on the porch around the house, going as fast as I could, leaning inward at the corners. The length and width of the house gives a similar proportion as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so Mrs. Racer asked if I was practicing for the Riverside 500.

It was great exercise too.

[MarkJerling]

I only rented them (the insurance actually covered them). I had several different models, some basic, others quite well equipped. One broke, a very poorly welded frame the cause.

One had larger, pneumatic tires, and hand brakes. The front axle was quite a bit wider than the rear, and it handled very well. I took to making laps on the porch around the house, going as fast as I could, leaning inward at the corners. The length and width of the house gives a similar proportion as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so Mrs. Racer asked if I was practicing for the Riverside 500.

It was great exercise too.

Maybe you need to tinker with it in the shed and see if you can build in an engine. Maybe a small block V8?

[Parallax]

but the type of break (sorry, I forget the name now)

There are relatively few basic types:
Open (commonly called "compound"). - The bone either protrudes through the skin or there is an open wound in the proximity of the fracture.
Transverse - The break is at or very near 90 degrees to the bone.
Oblique - The fracture is at an angle.
Spiral- Self explanatory
Comminuted - Multiple fragments. The bone is essentially crushed.
Greenstick - Only occurs in young children when the bones are soft enough to break only part way through.

Do any of those names ring a bell?

Of course those all refer to the actual type of fracture of each individual bone. There are names for site specific fractures such as Lafort type I II or III fracture of the face, flail chest (two or more adjacent rib fractures with two or more fractures per rib), colles fracture (wrist. both radius and ulna), etc. You said she had a tib/fib fracture so I wonder if there isn't a specific name for that as there is for the equivalent wrist fracture.

[Racer X 69]

There are relatively few basic types:
Open (commonly called "compound"). - The bone either protrudes through the skin or there is an open wound in the proximity of the fracture.
Transverse - The break is at or very near 90 degrees to the bone.
Oblique - The fracture is at an angle.
Spiral- Self explanatory
Comminuted - Multiple fragments. The bone is essentially crushed.
Greenstick - Only occurs in young children when the bones are soft enough to break only part way through.

Do any of those names ring a bell?

Of course those all refer to the actual type of fracture of each individual bone. There are names for site specific fractures such as Lafort type I II or III fracture of the face, flail chest (two or more adjacent rib fractures with two or more fractures per rib), colles fracture (wrist. both radius and ulna), etc. You said she had a tib/fib fracture so I wonder if there isn't a specific name for that as there is for the equivalent wrist fracture.

He wrote "closed fracture of right ankle", then "closed fracture of the malleolus of right ankle" on the release notes.

Today I read the full chart notes, and in addition to the above, there were comments when the second set of x-rays were ordered, and again later when the ultrasound was ordered, regarding suspected fracture of the distal of the tibia and fibula.

The picture of the x-ray with the plates and screws is what I found searching the innerwebs.

Having seen what looked like a wedge of bone poking up under the skin right after the fall makes me think at least one fracture was nearly vertical, rather than transverse, and at the end of the bone.

Mrs. Racer told me the doctor shot her with "hundreds" of shots from mid lower leg down to, and all over her foot and ankle. Then the nurse slipped a tubular gauze, and after the shots began to work (must have been a local anaesthetic), the doctor came back, and with an assistant, set the break, took a few more pictures, then they applied a splint, and sent her on her merry way.