Humerus fracture recovery

jaam,
 
I am so sorry you have to go through that after so long a recovery period.  My best to you in surgery.  Hopefully you will have a quicker recovery since you will have internal stabiity.  Please let us know how it's going and how you are after the surgery.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

thanks-i am home now (surgery was 4 days ago.) not a lot of pain w/the help of pain pills. but mt thumb, index finger and middle finger are numb. i go to the doctor today.

It has been 6 months since my surgery and had x-rays taken because I still have really bad pain when trying to throw something or golf and slight pain when bowling or shaking my arm. 
 
The location of the pain makes the surgeon think the pain is being caused by the plate. 
 
My question is should I wait 1 year to remove the plate hoping the pain eventually disappears or get it taken out now? 
 
Do you think there is any danger to waiting example: excess scar tissue building up around the ends of the plate (where the pain is).

How many of you have had the plate removed and when did you have it removed and how is your body reacting in the gym?
 
 

jaam


thanks-i am home now (surgery was 4 days ago.) not a lot of pain w/the help of pain pills. but mt thumb, index finger and middle finger are numb. i go to the doctor today.

I had problems with my fingers at the tip.  For me it turned out to be the swelling triggering that problem.  There is a chance that the radial nerve was irritated during the fracture or during the surgery. 

probably irritated the nerve during surgery. never had any problems w/my hand during the break. thanks for your help.
 
jaam

Jaam,

Glad your home and through the surgery.

I started PT again this week. This one is going to be much slower, partly due to the combo of bone graft and fracture but also due to my fear of rebreak!  It does feel good to be doing something active rather than just sitting around waiting to heal.  I am quite tired of the constant discomfort but I know as time goes by and I pass through each stage, i.e. getting the immobilizer off, getting the brace off, getting to drive, getting to use the arm more, etc.  Ill feel better and better.  I just have to bide my time.

It was quite glorious to have my arm lifted and get that arm pit opened up for the first time in 5 weeks....ah the simple pleasures in life.

Hope everyone else is doing well...keep your collective chins up!

Hello all.  I am almost 4 weeks post op and my arm is doing okay.  Not too much pain as long as I keep it still.  Range of motion is not normal yet.  Very tight tricep...they have to split it for surgery.  Anyway, I will post back with progress.  I see the doc in two weeks.  Good luck all

Hi all. 31 y/o female here. 4 weeks since fracturing my proximal humerus (doc explained that the "ice cream popped off the cone"). my story is not nearly as exciting as arm-wrestling. i slipped on icy steps. >.< no nerve damage and non-displaced so i was in a sling until last wed. x-rays showed good alignment, so he said i could use sling only when my arm got too sore. i took it off as soon as i got home (!) and, thankfully, have not needed to wear it since.

i'm trying to get ROM back, of course. doing pendulum swings and wall crawls. also just trying to use the arm more in daily activities. i'm R handed and it was my R arm, go figure. i'm trying to get used to sleeping in our bed again. it's been tough going because my other muscles and tendons (neck & back) are killing me! i rarely use stuff for pain, but do take hydrocodone a few nights a week to help with sleep.

i wanted to post here because, like many of you, i found this thread shortly after my break, as i was in search of information and support. i am far from a body builder, but found everyone's stories to be incredibly informative. it also helped foster the sense of not being alone in all this. i seriously thought i was going to go insane sitting at home those first couple of weeks. so, my post is a big thanks to you all as well as a word of encouragement as we all make our way through the healing process.

i also have a few questions, since i feel a little left on my own by my ortho:

1. do any of you have the sensation of tendons grinding against one another and it doesn't go away until the muscles "settle" or "pop" back into place? it's getting better for me, but it's a creepy and annoying feeling. i liken it to guitar strings rubbing against one another. eek.

2. what kinds of ROMs did you get sent home to do? did you see a physical therapist first, or did you do stuff on your own for a few weeks first?

3. how long did it take to get most of your ROM back?

thanks in advance for your responses. well wishes to you all.

Hey Everyone. 

  A quick update.  Ive been doing much better over the last two weeks and Im pretty sure that over the last 10 days I have a solid bone in my arm.  I used to be able to do a wiggling motion that would make the two bone halves move independently.  Now when I try to do that my wrist and elbow move and it feels much more like when my other arm moves.  I also started typing with two hands again, I just have to prop my left up on the keyboard.
  I have a few questions as to what to do now.  I know for a fact that I CAN move my arm in almost any position I could before the break.  The problem is that I'm terrible afraid of trying.  What if I lift my arm and the weight snaps the new bone?   Also, what is the length of time people where stuck in the fracture brace?  Now that my bone is starting to merge, what is the need for the brace?  Personally I think the brace they gave me at the time, probably because of the swelling, is too big now for my arm(I am a really really thin guy).  My last question is rashes.  Anyone else have a problem with the gauze ripping skin away under the fracture brace?  I've been trying to cram more gauze down between the brace and my skin because of a nasty rash.  I'm still kind of aggravated that they put this brace on, don't give you a way to clean or change the gauze, and leave you for 5 weeks.... gross, stinky cast and nasty, rashy skin.  I can't wait to return to normal again.

Epp,
Has your doctor spoken with you about seeing a physical therapist? Nobody here can really answer the question of what you can do without seeing how the bone is healing, the most important thing you can do is not do too much. If there's any doubt, don't do it until you're cleared by your docor.

On the matter of splints, I was in mine for about four weeks following surgery. Two weeks of a hard splint followed by two in a removable splint that I took off whenever I was home. Now I don't even bother to wear it anymore, if a major accident happens now the damage will be the same with or without the splint. Our situations are different because I had to have mine placed surgerically, but I hope you're able to get your splint off soon.

chj,
Quick question, how's your ROM in your elbow? If it is, I've been seeing a trainer for the last week for the same thing, working on stretching and regaining strength now. I did stretching exercises when I got my sling off, if you feel comfortable doing so I'd recommend working on extending and flexing the arm as well as supinating and pronating (twisting the forearm). Stretch as far as you can then hold at that point for about 10 seconds or so, doing 10 repetitions.

Range of motion can come back quickly if you work hard, I've seen increases in extending my arm every day, and I believe I'll have full ROM in under a month. You seem like you have a positive outlook on the situation so just keep it up and you'll be better in no time. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

Good luck to everybody.

chj ,
 
I have been in PT for the past two weeks.  I am six weeks out but still have the clamshell brace on and am still in an immoblizer.  I hope to be out of that by fri when I go back to see the doctor.  I would strongly urge getting into a therapist, they can direct you best.  I am surprised your doc didn't prescribe some therapy by now.  Of course I am 51 and  had just finished PT for my bone tumor surgery when I broke the arm.  I have been in the immobolizer long enough to have much adhesion and scar tissuge build up.
 
Epp,
 
How far out from your break are you?  I would strongly urge talking to the doctor or a therapist before pushing things too far.  Is the brace a clam shell brace with vecro that holds it together?  If so, and with your docs permission you should be able to remove it to clean the skin and bathe.  If it is a solid cast then obviously not.  Skin deterioration is quite common in these instances.  Don't be surprised when they take it off at the shape of your skin.  Once you can get it cleaned though and aired out it should come back prettty quick.  I'd also get some neosporin type cream to put on it when you start getting it clean to help the healing process.
 
Good luck to you all.  Wish me luck for the friday xrays!!!!!

hiya. thanks for the replies. i saw the doc a week ago, and go back in 2 weeks for my next xrays. i think he is going to send me to PT at that time for some more active therapy. all he suggested i do for the 3 weeks in between appointments is walk my fingers up the wall and pendulum circles, both several times a day. also, he said to use my arm more in resuming my regular daily activities.

hurricane - i have full use of my elbow and hand and can use my right arm some, but the muscles and tendons on the front and side of my R shoulder are reaaaaaally tight and get sore easily when i use them. my greatest difficulty, then, is lifting my outstretched arm in front of me or to the side. i've definitely seen some improvement over the past week, but i've read a lot about how getting motion back in the shoulder is a race against the clock to some degree and i don't want to be missing out on PT just because my ortho is being dismissive of me. although maybe i'm just questioning his judgement because i want me freaking arm back. who knows. :-P

country - i was surprised too, but was so happy when he said that the alignment was still perfect (altho no visible bone growth yet) and that i no longer needed the sling and could return to sleeping in my bed instead of a recliner, i just walked out of there without asking when PT would start. he did give me some passive exercises to do at home, so i'm not completely in the dark, but to wait a whole 3 weeks before getting sent in to do stuff under the supervision of a professional... just seems odd. i think that in the scheme of things, my fracture wasn't super bad (e.g., not displaced, no nerve damage, etc.), so he's not treating it as seriously. i dunno. i guess the good news is i'm improving. i wish you luck with your next xrays. you've really gone through the ringer with this injury!

thanks again all. i'll update soon and look forward to hearing how others are doing.

One more inquiry:

Does physical therapy hurt as much as they say it does?

It will be painful if your shoulder is as tight as you say it is. I'd recommend continuing to move and lift the arm as much as possible to improve ROM. The spinatus muscles will heal quickly because it is your main arm. PT on my elbow is not fun at all but honestly it's all a matter of your mindset... Remember that the pain leads to a positive, and hey, nothing is worse then the feeling after you break it.

If anybody is stumbling across this website after a recent break, pr struggling to sleep sitting up, let me recommend the way I rested that allowed me to lay down. If possible, lay on the side of your good arm. Stack pillows in front of your chest so they can support the arm and then just place it on top of the pillows. If you can manage, roll on your stomach while keeping the arm in the same position.

Helped me out a lot after surgery.

Hurricane gives some good advice on sleeping.  I too had to sleep sitting up or semi reclining for the past 6 weeks.  I hope the doc says I can lie down after tomorrows check up.  What I have done is get a number of pillows ranging from firm to feather soft and built a "nest " so that I was mostly upright, with the firmer pillows on my upper back and the softer ones lower down to give a cushioning to my lumbar region.  I then had a soft one behind my neck so I could relax back with my head or turn my head to either side.  It's all trial and error, if you have a partner to help it makes it easier.
 
 
chj,
 
PT can be painful when first moving and opening up the shoulder but it also feels so good to get the arm moving again.  I am still on very restricted passive range of motion and my therapist is doing all the range of motion work.  It's sort of a hurts so good thing.  Don't be afraid of  the pain it will bring progress, on the other hand also let the pain be your barometer of how far to go, it's nature's way of telling when something's wrong....  good luck, you'll be bowling in no time!

I go on Monday to get more xrays(I hope).  I want a clear picture of whether or not my arm is one piece or two.  Something tells me it's one, but I want clarification before attempting to move my shoulder or walk my arm up a wall.

I'm excited for the therapy.  Ive been getting pretty bad spasms in my arm pit from not moving the muscles, and today I'm fighting a constant charlie horse in my rib cage.  Since I can't move my armpit to stretch my chest muscle out, I dont see a way to easily get rid of it... Hopefully only 4 more days till this clam shell comes off....

One Question for you folks who haven't had surgery either:

  Im getting a serious achy pain in my arm in the morning, and when I let my arm sit in any one place.  Do you guys think it's the bone that aches, or the muscle?  I want to kind of move it around to make it feel better, but like I said, I'm trying not to do much until I hear yay or nay from the doctor.  I'm just super curious if it's the muscles tightening or if this is going to be a bone pain I have to deal with for a long time.

Here's my update at six weeks.  The doc said it is healing although he would have liked to have seen more, I'm guessing he was referring to obvious callous growth but I am within normal limits of the healing process for my age, 52. I can still see the gap between the broken ends but apparently there is tissue in there that does not show up on x-ray.  He palpated the area and noted he felt callous around the break area so he confirmed I am healing as I should.  I go back to see him in 6 weeks.  I am out of my clam shell splint in two weeks and I am out of the immobilizer for good.  He just wants me in a sling when I am out and about in crowds etc to protect the arm, I think also to give others a warning not to bump me.  After two weeks I wear the clam shell only when  I go out where I can be bumped.  I do that until I see im again.  I was able to sleep on my back for the first time in 6 weeks and even lounged on my side for a bit.  I can already feel I'm getting looser in the shoulder after being out of the immobilizer for 24 hours.  I am going to be VERY careful for a long time though so that I continue to heal and don't reinjure.  I had promised him I won't handle a horse for 6 months from the break, I have 4 and 1/2 to go!
 
Also the doc said that the bone graft is almost completely gone which means I have replaced it with my own forming bone.  He said I should be back to normal within 4-5 months, that's from the break so I have about 3 and 1/2 months to go...I can live with that.
 
So day by day, week by week I'm getting there.  Hope everyone else is doing o.k..

Well.  For those of you who can or did start therapy after only 5 or 6 weeks, consider yourselves lucky.  I went this morning and had new xrays done.  Despite some really apparent bone growth, I was not able to shed the clam shell.  In fact I have to wear it another full month, but the collar/cuff is optional now.  No therapy or ROM exercises yet.  When I asked about moving my shoulder or starting to bring back my strength, the doctor made it quite clear that I was not to.
My advice for anyone new to this right now is never get ahead of yourself.  The last time I saw the doctor, he had told me that as soon as I felt comfortable, I could start trying to move my shoulder and my elbow more.  I may have been so excited that comfortable came too quickly.  Now I'm wondering if the small amount of use made things worse.  I was clearly more lined up at the last xray than this one,  and I was told not to mistake the callus for solid bone.  Guess we'll see what he says in a month.  At least I don't need surgery, and at 5 weeks to have as much of a callus as I have is really remarkable he said.  Def. could be a lot worse.

Hey Epp,
 
Sorry about your disappointment.  It is very good news though that you have bone growth and callous growth.  Don't blame yourself, your body is doing the best it can and I doubt that what you did hurt anything.  Your doc is just being very careful.  I'd rather have that than the alternative.  Due to my age, 52 my healing is progressing slowly.  My doc has me in therapy but very slow progress and only passive range of motuon.  We will all get there eventually. We just have to be patient. I bet by your next checkup you will have better news.  Keep us updated.

epp, i'm sorry to hear that your healing process is taking longer than expected. over the past several weeks, i have struggled with maintaining a mindset of both accepting the diffictulties associated this kind of injury (e.g., unpredictable healing time) and having confidence in the fact that, with each day, things will get better. a lot of my friends remind me that our bodies are amazing homeostatic systems that have spent thousands of years perfecting the process of healing. they tell me i'd really have to go out of my way to make it so that my bone doesn't grow back. i see their point. you are young and healthy, so i know that time will be your greatest ally. these few months, although they feel like a lifetime right now, will just be a blip in the span of your whole life. hang in there... it will get better.

hi country. as always, you are a trooper. glad to hear that things are moving along for you, albeit slowly. i look forward to hearing your progress over the weeks.

i'm doing pretty well. yesterday was 5 weeks from the break. i've been doing wall crawls, pendulum swings, and shoulder blade reaches for several days now. i've also been trying to feed myself, brush my teeth, type etc. with my right hand, none of which is easy. ugh. i have seen steady improvements in my ROM and, to a lesser degree, in my strength, although i am by no means anywhere near 100%. i worry that i'm overdoing it and that my alignment will be messed up at my next xray (which is in a week).

one thing that sucks is that all of my muscles and connective tissues in my neck and back and shoulder are so sore all the time, esp first thing in the morning and at night. it's very draining. i wake up several times throughout the night, which really sucks because before the break i slept very soundly. i'm gearing up to go back to work at the beginning of march, so i hope my arm is well enough by then. we are really hurting without my income, and unfortunately i don't have temp disability benefits through work.

well, that sums me up. i'd like to hear how others are going. sending out healing vibes...

I broke my dominant right arm arm wrestling just over ten years ago. Dumbest thing I ever did. I have a plate and nine screws to show for it. Of course it was a spiral fracture that ended about an inch above the elbow. Currently, I lift weights four days a week, but to be honest my arm holds me back. First, it's very stiff. I have a full range of motion, but it just doesn't react as quickly as the other. For slow methodical exercises it does okay, but it's horrible for explosive movements. For example, I'm 36 years old 5'9 180 and I can bench 250 ten times, but I can't throw a baseball twenty feet. I routinely curl 55lbs dumbbells twenty times, but my tennis serve never came back, although my forehand and backhand are pretty good. I spent a lot of time rehabbing my shoulder, and that actually helped strengthen my arm more than anything. I am more prone to tennis elbow in my injured arm, so I wear a tennis elbow brace when I work out. It helps a lot. Tennis doesn't give me tennis elbow, but working out with weights sometimes does.

A couple of times in the last few years I've gone back to the surgeon who operated on me. He's one of those doctors who has like ten patients at once and doesn't have much time to talk. He basically said he could take out the plate and all the screws except one, but since it doesn't bother me all that much I should be able to leave it in for life, unless the annoyance gets worse.  I can live with it. I wasn't going to pitch in the majors anyway. I don't have any kids, but if I have any in the future, the not being able to throw thing is gonna suck.

This is off topic a little, but I was recently diagnosed with low testosterone, which can cause low bone density. This may explain the initial break, although I'm hairy as hell and had pubes in like fifth grade, so it couldn't have always been low.  Anyway, I've been using Testim (a sticky gel) for about six months to raise my levels. I was hovering around 275-300 before Testim, and now I'm up to around 600-700.  My joints (shoulders and elbows) are feeling a lot better.  I feel like the strength disparity in my right and left arm is becoming less noticable, but the stiffness remains. Doing pullups is a bitch!

Thanks for listening. If you have any suggestions for addressing the stiffness issue, please post them.

I'm really glad I found this forum.

Here is a list of the supplements I use:

Multi-Vitamin
Fish Oil
Vitamin C
Vitamin D3
Red Ginseng
Resveratrol
Zinc
Saw Palmetto
Ginko Biloba
Nettle Root Extract
Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM
Creatine
Glutamine
L-Arginine
Whey Protein

Hi all.

I found this forum a couple of weeks ago and have been lurking occasionally so I thought I would post my experiences.

I fractured my right distal humerus 2 inches above the elbow arm wrestling a woman!!

Admitedly she was using both arms and her entire bodyweight but still not the best for the ego!

I train regularly and i'm quite powerful, especially my arms - prior to the fateful night I got comments regularly about by guns!

I was away from home overnight when it happened, I was losing and my arm was hyperextended, I tried to get back on even terms and my arm just popped, the sound was life a pint glass slamming down on a table! The initial sensation was of having a very baddead arm when someone punches you hard in it, and then I tried to pick my arm up and it was dead and numb. I could feel the bones moving around and knew something wasn't right.

Anyway, a trip to A&E confirmed a very bad spiral fracture tothe distal humerus and I needed surgery, ORIF.

I have private medical insurance so I went to the Nuffield website and selected my surgeon, they have all of the surgeons biographies on the site and my surgeon, Mr Venkat, has 20 years expeience and specialises in just these types of fractures. He said that he does 4-5 surgeries a year fixing this type of injury! I went in and the operation went well. No Radial or Ulna nerve damage!!! This was the first thing I was doing when I awoke, checking my fingers could move and I had sensation. I had a nerve block put in and this wore off at around 4am after my 5pm surgery, the pain was unbelievable and even Morphine didn't come close to touching the pain! Eventually I had intravenous paracetamol and this did the trick.

I signed myself out the next day and went home with Diclofenac, Codeine and Paracetamol. I have stopped takling the Codeiene as I don't want to get hooked.

Anyway, I've just got a very simple waterproof bandage on now and I can shower!! And wear normal clothes!! The arm is very bruised and swollen and I have 30 degrees range of motion atthe moment.My hand was huge for a few days as well, could barely clench my fist! I can now type fine and use a mouse and do office tasks so I'm back at work as I was so bored, as I type this 16 days after the injury I am relatively pain free and very hopefulof making a full recovery. If anyone is reluctant to have the surgery I would recommend it, I don't have to wear a pot for 3 months and can basically function normally after 16 days!! Also I expect to basically make a full recovery, whereas a conservative approach will usually lead to a restriction in ROM and after3 months youmight not even achieve boney union!!To me, I would rather be proactiveand have the scar. By the way, 31 staples! But the scar is verypretty, a nice 10 inch straight line with no swelling etc

as I type this 16 days after the injury I am relatively pain free and very hopefulof making a full recovery

I'm glad to see you've had such great success going with surgery.  I will admit that having to wear this clamshell for three months is kind of ridiculous, but since I'm not much of a 'body-builder' type anyway, it really only sucks I can't play my drums. 

Good luck, Hope this works out for you.  Keep us posted.

Had a follow up today. Last one was 3 weeks ago. The doc I got this time was the one I first saw at the break. At that time, he told me that I would likely never life something 10 lbs over my head again and prob wouldn't be able to do my hair with my right arm again. Well, he was shocked today when I showed him what I could do with my arm. He said that I've got about 90% of my range of motion back and that I'm in the top 5% for rate of recovery for this type of fracture. So take that Mr. Ortho! I still have pretty significant pain by the end of the day and there's still a lot I can't do. My arm is still very weak, but I start physical therapy tomorrow. Finally! For everyone working through the healing process at their body's pace, I encourage you to keep at it and to trust your own limits (including stopping when it hurts!). I have been riddled by worry over the last 7 weeks. This is a very tricky break, but you will get through it. Who know, maybe eventually I'll take up weight lifting. :-P

Stay strong and lots of well wishes.

Hey everyone,
  I'm wondering if you guys can give me some advise as to improving my elbow pain.  After having my arm in the brace and sling for so long, straightening my elbow out all the way and bending my arm all the way is super painful.  I understand that it's going to take time, but I feel like there is more pain than there should be in my lower elbow muscles and joint, almost like arthritis.  Any thoughts on basic exercises I can do would be helpful.  I have to be careful not to lift my arm up, but the doctor told me to work on my elbow ROM without really giving me a good technique.  

Thanks!!!

hi epp. sry your elbow feels so painful. I found that i had to go really really slowly when working on moving my elbow. i would support the movement by holding the hand of my injured arm with my other hand and move it as far as it would go to straighten it out and then back up again. are you attempting to let your arm hang in the shower? i found that after doing that and by the end of a hot shower, i'd have more elbow mobility and could work it more. i'd also be sure to ice the hell out of it after working it a bunch. it seemed more effective than just taking a pain reliever. also, as ROM improved, the tendon at the base of the tricep (the one that connects it to the elbow) hurt like crazy all the time. it just took time and greater gradual use of the arm to make that go away some. has your doc suggested any additional diagnoistics, or does he feel that your condition is solely due to lack of use for so long? again, sry to hear that you're struggling with this. i imagine that bending and straightening the elbow while keeping your upper arm against your body is the best way to work this out. best wishes. keep us updated.

how are other people doing?

Well my story is very similar to yours.  I broke my humerus arm wrestling and had to have surgery with the plate and screws.  Just wanted to say its been about a year now, and I can do everything normal besides lift heavy weights.  I get a pain in my arm whenever I try to do this.  I was wondering if any of you guys have still had this problem after a year and if you have any advice for me on how to get completely healed.  thanks.

well, here it is 10 weeks from the break now.  I went and had new x-rays done last week with great results.  I was supposed to wear the functional brace through until last monday, but ended up removing it almost 2 weeks ago except to sleep.  That's why it came as such a shock when the doctor told me my x-rays were much better than he had expected.  He told me to start lifting my arm over my arm and that as soon as it wasnt painful I should start lifting one or two pound weights to increase shoulder strength.  I am thrilled.  Hurts like hell though and I can't yet put my arm straight over my head, but I am slowly getting there.  I think by the end of March I should be able to do 'jumping-jack' kind of motions. 
What really kicks me is that as much as this hurts physically, sometimes the mental pain is worse.  I have been planning a trip to the allagash river for over a year with some friends.  I am not a strong canoer and therefore would have to practice a great deal before going.  Since the injury to my arm I figured that they had cancelled until either much later in the year or next year.  This weekend I found out they are going the first week of july and were trying to find a way to tell me.  Unfortunately there is no time for my arm to heal enough to practice canoeing before then and I wouldnt dare try to do such an intense river by July, especially when the other person in the canoe is counting on me keeping them from hitting rocks or tipping over.  Guess I'm stuck fishing from shore this year.
This injury has removed snowboarding, rock climbing, canoeing, softball and golfing from my list of things to do this year.  I guess I'll have to settle for Mt. Bikes.

How is everyone else doing?  Hopefully you guys are having as much healing success as I am!   

Hi guys,

As for my story I had a severe multiple humerus break due to a nasty car accident two years ago. Has fully recovered with surgery, 4 plates and 21 bolts and has full strength back. But my problem is that my right hand( the broken one) is disgustingly thinner than my left and I have paid special attention to make it bigger but in vain. Any advice on that?