how long does a bust leg take to stop hurting

[timwilky]

I bust my fibula at the ankle 6 weeks ago. The plaster came off after 4 weeks and I was given an aircast ankle brace which I personally feel does not support the foot/back of ankle etc.

I am still suffering an ache, cold foot and pain after walking more than 200 yards (so why do that then stupid). plus terrible pain if I jar the foot and am not careful putting on a sock etc. Everyone is telling me that I should now be over it and I am a wimp.

The only X-ray was done at my initial A&E, my last visit to the fracture clinic at 4 weeks, the doc looked at the original x-ray, my leg and said it was repairing nicely. His x-ray eyes must be brilliant.

The wife works on the fracture clinic and has read my notes and said I should have been given a pneumatic boot not a brace and that further x-rays had been recommended.

When I queried this I was told I was being treated appropriately for such a minor fracture. My next fracture clinic is in two weeks (8 weeks after initial break). So question, how long before it stops hurting. My last injury a bust shoulder 6 years ago still hurts


OK, they are right. I am a wimp. But I want to play out in the sun and cannot get my boots on for the pain trying to get my foot in

[Dicky Ticker]

As you get older it takes a lot longer to heal and in addition to that old breaks start hurting again.I have started to develope a slight limp to compensate for the pain in my right leg[Old fractures with plates and rods] which is now manifesting itself into hip pain after about 200yds
Sorry old bean but as you are no longer a spring chicken you just have to learn to live with it----------any how its an excuse for being grumpy:)

[cymroboi]

hi m8 busted my colar bone 4 months ago now the pain has gone but it still feels mmmmm how could i say ..a bit un comfy but thats down to the steel bit they put in to hold it together (i think) im back to see my doc in a week time hopefully to get the all clear to get back to work ,thought id never say that <<<<<and mostly back on the bike in this weather !!! i still get a few twinges now and again but thats due to me trying to doo too much after bieng in a sling for the last three and a half moths !!!!

[metalmonkey]

I had an op on leg when i was kid, they had remove some bone, ie scrape some of it away. That would still still ache well into my 20s, it still does sometimes, but I ignore it and just crack on. One of those things really.

I don't bother with pain killers really either, unless it really sore, they often make me feel like crap anyway, I have loads of codine at home which I never took.

[zobers]

I damaged my ankle pretty badly about 6 years ago and every now and then it really hurts. I remember the doctor saying that it would take up to 2 years to heal. Hope yours is feeling better soon so you can get out in the lovely weather.

[Rorshach]

increased on non diminishing pain -> a&e or gp.

sometimes they set the cast too tight/loose and it sets the bone wrong (yer wife will tell you that) or sometimes there may be a shard of bone loose

get another xray done

[Becks]

Unfortunately there is no straight answer to your question; this all depends on the type injury and what other damage was caused.

[Rorshach]

^^^^^^ what she said

[ophic]

14 months and still on crutches and painful for Miss Ophic. And it wasn't even broken. So don't hold your breath :pale:

[Quiff Wichard]

the leg is directly attached to the tongue Timothy..

stop talkin and the pain will subside.

[Paws]

bust my tib & fib Sept 2007, still have pain issues now and poss nerve damage

[Speedy Claire]

I think the older you are the longer it takes to fully recover. Do you need some physio? the muscles in that leg will obv need some building up so I`m just wondering if it`s a muscular pain you`re experiencing.

Also, the older you are when you suffer a fracture the more likelihood there is of developing "secondary arthritis".

[Quiff Wichard]

I think the older you are the longer it takes to fully recover. Do you need some physio? the muscles in that leg will obv need some building up so I`m just wondering if it`s a muscular pain you`re experiencing.

Also, the older you are when you suffer a fracture the more likelihood there is of developing "secondary arthritis".


Unlucky then Tim..

[kwak zzr]

as others have said tim the pain does take a while to go, my collarbone still wakes me every night :( the actual bone break didnt hurt at all but as paws says its the damage around the break that takes ages or probably never gets back 100% the physio i got from walsall manor was sh#t, i was told to go back to work and light dutys would act as my physio? this was after i was sent home as repair'd but infact my collar was still in 2 pieces :(

[ixlr8]

It takes many months for the callus to calcify; the callus glues the 2 fragments together in the first 4-8 weeks but then that has to solidify, the strength of which is determined by the physical forces applied through the callus. By using it once it's united enough, the use determines how the new bone forms. Until then, it feels dodgy. Likewise, any fracture causes tissue damage around the fracture site leading to formation of primitive scar tissue and this needs time and activity to re-organise itself into normal tissue, in the meantime, it feels tight and constricting.

An xray is the only way of knowing how the union is progressing; anything else is (educated) guesswork. The progress will determine your physio and activity. Some pain or discomfort is normal at this early stage, but note that the fibula is a muscle-bearing bone not a weight-bearing one so don't stress about doing damage to yourself.

(Says he while waiting for tibial bone grafts) :(

Get xrayed.