What's "normal" after cast removal?

[TheIncredibles!]

I have a call in to the Ortho's office but wanted to get some opinions here.

9yo hurt himself 3 weeks ago. Went to ER had an X-Ray and the ER Doc said he had fractures in the 2nd metartarcil(sp?). Upon review by the Radiologist we were told it was fractures in the 2nd and 3rd metatarcil(sp?).

Go to an Orthopedist who says he cannot see the fractures on x-ray, decides they are more than likely growth plate fractures and he casts him and says to come back in 2 weeks to get the cast off.

Last week the cast was removed with no follow up x-ray required beforehand and here we are a full 7 days later and he can't walk! His foot is purple compared to the one next to it, is noticibly swollen compared to the one next to it as well. He is not in pain, except when he tries to full on walk without the crutches. Then he just cannot do it. He was not in pain before the cast either except for when he tried to walk on it. He's not a complainer in general anyway so it's hard to tell with him when something hurts.

Is this normal? My DD had fractures in her growth plate in her ankle when she was 4 and she was casted for 6 weeks not 2. When he cast came off she had a few days of being stiff and uncertain when she walked but it was NOTHING like my son.

We have a follow up appt for next Wednesday but I honestly do not see anything changing between now and then. I can'thelp but think thisis not normal but I honestly have no idea if it is or not.

 

[laughinplace199]

That doesn't sound normal. I'm no expert (I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night), but I always thought growth plate fractures were more serious than other types of fractures.

My DD has fractured both of her arms (thankfully not at the same time) and both times she was in a cast for six weeks. Two weeks doesn't seem very long for a cast.

Also, when DD got her casts off, she was hesitant to use her arms at first, which is normal. However, once she did, there was no pain or swelling.

It sounds like a call to the doctor is in order. Good luck!

 

[TheIncredibles!]

That doesn't sound normal. I'm no expert (I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night), but I always thought growth plate fractures were more serious than other types of fractures.

My DD has fractured both of her arms (thankfully not at the same time) and both times she was in a cast for six weeks. Two weeks doesn't seem very long for a cast.

Also, when DD got her casts off, she was hesitant to use her arms at first, which is normal. However, once she did, there was no pain or swelling.

It sounds like a call to the doctor is in order. Good luck!

I did call. 1.5 hours later still no return phone call I honestly think none of this makes sense. The 2 weeks did not make sense at all to me. The fact that the ER Doc saw a fracture, the Radiologist saw 2 and the Orthopedist saw none made no sense to me. I took a picture of his feet. This is 1 week after cast removal. I will post in a minute. It just looks wrong to me but this guy specializes in the foot/ankle injuries etc so I am second guessing myself.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

 

[mjantz]

That doesn't sound right either. Growth plate fractures are nothing to mess with. My DS had a fracture a few years ago, no growth plates involved & he was casted for 6 weeks.

Maybe a second opinion?

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Sorry for the huge picture - nobody wants to see a little boy's dirty feet - lol. But you can see how his foot and ankle are a totally different color. The foot on the right - his left foot - is the one in question. You cannot see the swelling here too much but I won't torture with more pictures. This just does not seem right, not a week after cast removal at least.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

They just called back - not the CNA not the Dr. I am bringing him in tomorrow for a follow up x-ray. Shouldn't they have x-ray'd him before they removed the cast? UGH!

 

[davedmaine]

I have a call in to the Ortho's office but wanted to get some opinions here.

9yo hurt himself 3 weeks ago. Went to ER had an X-Ray and the ER Doc said he had fractures in the 2nd metartarcil(sp?). Upon review by the Radiologist we were told it was fractures in the 2nd and 3rd metatarcil(sp?).

Go to an Orthopedist who says he cannot see the fractures on x-ray, decides they are more than likely growth plate fractures and he casts him and says to come back in 2 weeks to get the cast off.

Last week the cast was removed with no follow up x-ray required beforehand and here we are a full 7 days later and he can't walk! His foot is purple compared to the one next to it, is noticibly swollen compared to the one next to it as well. He is not in pain, except when he tries to full on walk without the crutches. Then he just cannot do it. He was not in pain before the cast either except for when he tried to walk on it. He's not a complainer in general anyway so it's hard to tell with him when something hurts.

Is this normal? My DD had fractures in her growth plate in her ankle when she was 4 and she was casted for 6 weeks not 2. When he cast came off she had a few days of being stiff and uncertain when she walked but it was NOTHING like my son.

We have a follow up appt for next Wednesday but I honestly do not see anything changing between now and then. I can'thelp but think thisis not normal but I honestly have no idea if it is or not.

Get a second opinion from a doctor .. Not sure how a bunch of random strangers on a Disney forum can help

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Get a second opinion from a doctor .. Not sure how a bunch of random strangers on a Disney forum can help

Rude much? WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR A CALLBACK.....I was asking what other people think regarding their own experiences after cast removal. Not like I was asking them to diagnose my kids injury @@.

 

[krcit]

Wow. I can really see the difference in color! Doesn't seem right at all. My dd fractured her growth plate and had a cast on for 4 or 6 weeks,, I don't remember, but her ankle was like your daughters..a it stiff for a day and if anything a bit paler than the other one. I hope he's ok. Keep us posted.

 

[laughinplace199]

They just called back - not the CNA not the Dr. I am bringing him in tomorrow for a follow up x-ray. Shouldn't they have x-ray'd him before they removed the cast? UGH!

That is odd that they didn't do a follow up xray. DD had follow up xrays both times.


Good luck tomorrow.

 

[DonaldnDaisy5]

Oh ds just was diagnosed with a fracture in his foot at urgent care after a fall yesterday.

He has broke both arms in the past and has a pretty high pain tolerance. After an awful night where I unwrapped his foot to show him his heel was not on fire (fracture was supposedly near middle of foot near pinky toe). And I saw his heel raw red white and blistering...I decided to call orthopedic office to move appt to today.

A new xray was done and the dr said there was no fracture. He pointed to same thing urgent care dr showed me anf googled more images to help me feel better...it was his growth plate.

He then used a tool that vibrated to check the other growth plate (where the actual pain was closer to the pinky toe) to see if there was a fracture there that was too small to see on xray. Based on my son's reaction they determined he has a sprain of that growth plate instead...we were told 2 to 6 weeks for total recovery but no cast.

Its so hard when you get conflicting info!!!! I would get a second opinion! !!

 

[sophiagymgall]

Rude much? WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR A CALLBACK.....I was asking what other people think regarding their own experiences after cast removal. Not like I was asking them to diagnose my kids injury @@.

I don't think the previous poster wanted to be anything but helpful, nor were they telling you that you shouldn't post on here. You asked for advice, and several people's advice is that you should get a second opinion, even after seeing the first doctor again. If your team of doctors is unable to find a correct diagnosis and doesn't seem like they can be trusted with your son's treatment, then you need to turn to someone else, ie another doctor. People on the Internet can share their own experiences, but no one can offer a trustworthy diagnosis online, hence the suggestion to get a second opinion.

 

[HelenePA]

They just called back - not the CNA not the Dr. I am bringing him in tomorrow for a follow up x-ray. Shouldn't they have x-ray'd him before they removed the cast? UGH!

yes!! its crazy they didn't!! can you go to a new ortho? that is crazy! I've had many broken bones and my kids have had their fair share my dd10 has broken wrist right now but they have new casts out that are totally removable with her type of break. she'll be in the cast for 6-8 weeks I've never heard of a kid only being in one for 2 weeks.

 

[Patience]

My daughter broke her wrist a week or two before our October 2011 Disney trip. She was x-rayed and casted for 6 weeks. When the cast came off, her wrist looked wrong (puffy and discolored) and she couldn't move it well either. Her orthopedist sent her for an MRI and that's when all of the tendon damage was discovered. She had surgery soon thereafter, another cast, and then PT for several weeks.

OP, I hope they find out tomorrow what the problem is.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Well... he's in a $250 fracture boot now. There's no flipping way his cast should have come off.

I get there (this is in a different office not the one we were seen at before) and get the x-ray done. This place physically gave me the films. When they were done in the ER I never saw them, the Dr accessed them direct from the hospital. As soon as I left the imaging place I looked at them and even to me it was clear to see FRACTURES in two places. Bearing in mind at the ER they said fractures of the 2nd and 3rd metatarcil(sp?) and the Ortho said he did not see that they said it was growth plate fractures - hence the cast for only 2 weeks.

So I go up to see the guy again with the films in hand and explained he's in pain can't walk, it's gotten worse since cast removal and he said the films look like it was healing and since he was casted for 6 weeks and we are only 1 week after removal I needed to be more patient and possibly try therapy. Ummm - Hello? I had to tell him that he was not casted for 6 weeks, he was casted for 2 and it's only 3 weeks since the injury. He looked puzzled then smiled and told me that perhaps he just needed some time in a fracture boot and sent me off with a script to the local medical store @@

So this was without a doubt a screw up somewhere. I just am not sure where it went wrong though because in his office initially when he wasfirst casted he pulled up the x-ray and he did not see any fractures, he showed it to me and I also did not see what I saw on today's films. I have to wonder - did he access the wrong film? Were we looking at the film they did of his right foot to compare instead of looking at the injured foot? Did the hospital mess up the x-ray somehow and put another left foot x-ray under my son's file? The radiologist at the hospital saw the 2 fractures and clear as a bell that is what was on today's film

The Ped already gave me a referral this morning for another practice. So we'll be going there from now on as it's clear something happened with this place and of course they'r enot going to come out and admit that his cast was not on as long as it needed to be.

 

[krcit]

So are you taking him to another practice? Does the ortho place not do there own xrays? All the ones I have been to do the xrays in office. Someone definitely screwed up. I hope he's feeling better.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

So are you taking him to another practice? Does the ortho place not do there own xrays? All the ones I have been to do the xrays in office. Someone definitely screwed up. I hope he's feeling better.

Yes definitely going somewhere else on Monday at 11. The ortho place does not do their own X-rays but they are in medical buildings with radiology centers etc. the initial appt he used the X-rays from the hospital which he accessed via computer. For the follow up when they took the cast off he didn't ask for an X-ray to be done so the ones we got today were only the second set done. The practice we are going to Monday can access the X-rays from the hospital the same way this guy did so we will be able to see the same ones and from there will know what happened. If they pull it up and see fractures then we know the first guy pulled up the wrong records. If they pull it up and see nothing then we know the hospital did something wrong. In the meantime he's good with the air cast he has now.