Failed Humerus Heal At 88 - Profound Osteoporosis Bone Fixation?
Nov 5, 2014
My mom is 88. In August of 2012 she fell and broke her left humerus. Our first Dr. did an external fixation and we administered a bone stimulator conscientiously for 3 1/2 months, a half hour every night. After about six months the external fixation became progressively loose.
We obtained a new orthopedic surgeon who deemed that another surgery would be necessary. He did an internal fixation with synthetic bone graft. After about a year that has failed. Now we have total failure of the arm …. (looks like two elbows), x rays reveal floating screws, wire wrap coming undone from the plate, and most recently painful surges from the shoulder all the way to the tips of her fingers.
Her bones are obviously very osteoporotic. Our Dr. has suggested another surgery with a longer plate. I worry about another surgery (T.I.A. and clotting) and after two failures why would a third be successful?
Is there any new technology regarding 'profound osteoporosis bone fixation'?
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I found a paper recently that contained some insights that might be worth thinking about." Studies of Osteoporosis (OP) and drug treatments have challenged the concept that denser bone means stronger bone. Bone strength, or resistance to fracture, is not easily measured by routine DXA as it is a function of both density and quality".
(Cleveland Clinic, Angelo Licata 2009).
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I can't find ANYTHING that removes the pain! Co Codamol doesn't, the 'so called' pain relieving gels don't (I've tried 3 different types). Can anyone suggest anything else?
Yesterday I twisted my hips somehow as I got out of the chair, the pain was excruciating. Since then I can hardly walk (how does excercise, excercise fit in then?)
I had been doing so well, 20 mins walk per day (and I've always disliked walking!) - physiotherapy, etc.
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In early January of this year (2008) I was working out at the gym one day with weights. I heard a "pop" in my upper right arm. Did not think much of it. Continued working out with weights for another 3 days. One night a terrible throbbing pain started in my upper right arm. It was bad. I knew it was not a "normal" pain. I went to my family doctor and had xrays. Everything came back normal. The pain continued. It was terrible. I went back to my family doctor the next week. By this time, I had terrible pain in my arm, and lost some range of motion in my shoulder. My doctor sent me for an ultrasound. It showed that I had a Shoulder Impingement/Frozen Shoulder. I thought, at the time, that this was the most terrible thing in the world. Boy, was I wrong. I began physio on my arm, took anti-inflammatories and painkillers. My ROOM came back, shoulder got better. I was still having terrible pain in my arm. That same "throbbing, pulsating" pain. I was not sleeping at this point. I went to see a few sports and rehabilitation doctors. I got a cortizone shot in my shoulder for the pain. Did not work. I requested another ultrasound from my doctor. It showed that I had a partial bicep tear. I thought that that was the cause of all my problems in the first place. So I began treating that. I had another cortisone shot in my bicep. It made things worse. I was a terrible mess. On painkillers, NSAIDS, anti-depressants, etc. I was at my "witts-end". On another last ditch attempt visit with my family doctor, he prescribed me antibiotics because he believed that I had an infection. My arm was swollen, sore to the touch, very painful, I had a fever, etc. The antibiotics worked. My swelling went down, the pain started to go away, I started to feel like myself again. I thought I was cured. In the meanwhile I had a bone scan. It came back "not normal". My pain doctor who made me have the bone scan told me to go to the hospital right away because he thought that I had cancer in my bone. At this point I was feeling better after being on antibiotics for only a few days. I was devastated. I could barely even believe it - in fact - I did not believe it. I was admitted to the hospital where I had numerous testing done. MRI, CT Scans, Xrays, bloodwork, etc. I was being treated for a bone infection and was on intravenous meds for 4 days. On my fifth day in the hospital, my doctor changed her diagnosis and told me out of the blue that she believed that I had cancer in my arm bone. Either Lymphoma or Sarcoma. Needless to say - I was in a state of shock. I was sent for a biopsy of my arm bone. I had to wait approximately 3 weeks from the date I was told that I had cancer until the day I received the results from the biopsy. I was told that I did not have cancer and had chronic Osteomyelitis. I was so happy to hear this news. I just went to go see an infectious disease doctor today. She told me that the damage to my humerus was bad and that it would not be "the same"anymore. I can't do any weightlifting anymore. I am on oral antibiotics for at least three months. I have a Staph bacteria that somehow nested in my arm bone. I am just thankful that it is not cancer. I do hope though that my infection goes away and NEVER comes back and that the damage to my humerus does not affect my every day to day life.
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I broke my humerus (upper arm) bone in half about two weeks ago. It is a oblique break in the middle of the bone. They had me take x-rays yesterday so they expected me to straighten my arm. Well buddy my bones started grinding and popping and OW! needless to say say they didn't didn't get me to straighten it... Ah whatever they got pictures of it straight the day I broke it thanks to painkillers. It is in a sling and perfectly aligned according to what they did get yesterday and two weeks ago. I am 20 I don't smoke and i don't drink. That is my story now my questions are. 1: how long until I can straighten my arm without the bone moving and snapping? They expect more x-rays in 2 weeks but if this thing moves its not happening! (because I'm a wuss I know) 2: how terrible does therapy really hurt? Should I take pain pills beforehand? I've heard some scary stories about therapy after a break. 3: do I I have have to worry about breaking it again in therapy or when I do decide to straighten it out? May be a stupid question but last time my arm was broken i was 2 so... 4: I have a numb spot on my arm, that from the bone or did I give myself frostbite from non stop ice packs? It's above my elbow, below the break. And lastly how long until it's completely healed? I'm a CNA I kinda need the thing :/ thanks for taking taking time to read this please help me out a little. I have borderline PPD and a hint of wimp so I appreciate any HONEST information!
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I sustained a spiral fracture of the distal third of my humerus approximately 3 and a half weeks ago. Im currently in a hard functional brace and able to let my arm hang freely at my side. I began PT earlier this week and have a few questions regarding the process. While most of the exercises are focused on maintaining range of motion and are relatively pain free, some do put small amounts of stress on the fracture site and cause discomfort. Every once in awhile I can feel the pieces of bone moving during the exercises. My arm has also swollen up a bit more (specifically my lower arm) since beginning PT. I assume this is normal. I'm more concerned with the movement of the bone. Is this cause for concern? and will excess movement hinder the bone healing process?
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I'm back home now after anterior and posterior repair, the ligament fixation for the uterus wasn't needed luckily.
my bladder isn't working at all so I'm home with a catheter which is a bit humiliating and I'm hoping it will give my bladder time to recover.
post op I've found it quite painful especially the back wall repair but they said some of the pain was down to urine retention. I'm super sleepy and have no attention span what so over.
wishing everyone well who is waiting for this op, It's been so helpful to have people to speak to, it's such an lonely condition.
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My vagina opening is wide enough to fit a tampon, which i've done on many occasions however, anything larger than this and it doesn't seem to stretch anymore. The actual skin can stretch fine and does but at the opening is a small ridge of bone. Once you reach past this bit of bone, inside the vagina it can stretch fine, it's just that one ridge, i can put my finger round it and hook it but I can't actually move the bone (obviously)So my problem is just that when I come to having sex, nothing will fit. I think this bone is the pubic bone which is just sunk down too far. I can also feel it right behind my clitoris and urethra opening like everything has been squashed down into one small area. It doesnt come very far up on my front 'mound' but comes too far down underneath in my vaginal area.Is this normal? Has anyone experienced this? What should I do?
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I had surgery on June 14, 2011 to remove a bone spur on my left clavicle and to remove arthritis near (but not in) my shoulder joint. It was the worse experience of my life. I was in constant agonizing pain for 2.5 months. Just for the record, I've had two ulnar nerve surgeries on my left AND right elbows and never even needed pain medication. This shoulder surgery apparently did not relieve any of my pain. I still have a dull aching pain through out the day starting in my neck (left side) to my shoulder, and down my bicep to my elbow. I still can not sleep at night, and through out the day while working my shoulder/arm/ neck is killing me. I continue to take an Naproxin and continue to rotate heat and ice. I did physical therapy for the first two months after surgery. My concern is that had arthroscopic surgery, and there was NO rotator damage so why is my shoulder still in pain? My shoulder pops when I do try to rotate it.. and often when I simply reach outward for something..I'm in excruciating pain. I'm a baker, so I am constantly lifting a 34-50lb metal mixing bowl and have to reach many times through out the day. There really is no way to not do my job duties and still retain my job. Any ideas why I'm still having this problem?
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I am a 47 year old female. I had Microfracture Knee surgery on January 12, 2016 and it was not a success. My doctor said that I am still bone on bone and will need a partial knee replacement. He uses the Oxford Partial Knee and says it is the best one to go with. I was able to get a Synvisc injection on May 12, 2016. My doctor and I are both hopeful that this will give me some time to make this big decision. I have had a really hard time recovering from the microfracture surgery. I was on crutches for five weeks and my knee got stuck in a bent position. I was in therapy for three months and I still cannot walk with a straight knee. The thought of undergoing another surgery is so scary. I just want to be normal again and do all the things that I used to do before.
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I have suffered from pimples since early youth, but getting less and less by the years and no big harm to the skin today. Recently I have gotten 2 pimple-like skin infections where there is a typical infection under the skin. These can hurt pretty bad, but retain a pretty small size. They grow extremely slowly, and end up almost as a small hole or gap in the skin. They are far from visible to anyone else than me and my eyes, but I get worried it might somehow be a signal of weakness to the immune system in some way.
-They first appear like small soars/pimples and do no harm.
-They get gradually more and more infected and really hurt at some point where it feels wrong not to squeeze them.
-After several months they heal, but not completely. There is almost no blood at all.
I have struggled with hairs growing inside the skin, creating infection, but as soon as the hair is removed they heal quickly. In these cases I get the pimples on the foreleg or on my arms, which has not happened ever before. When checking the pimples there no sign of hairs in it. Could this be anything else?
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Anyone know how long tears on clitorus take to heal ?
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How long does the implant insertion wound take to fully heal? I got mine inserted on Tuesday night and it has had a dressing on since. I took it off to change it tonight and it hadn't healed at all.
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I did hysteroscopy(camera) test,the doctor said sure uterus is thick and the fibroids are not in the cavity which he says its better and that its not cancer,
Am yet to do MRI on mid-march so they can decide which treatment is best for me (operation or medication) the polyp is not removed yet,.
Have anyone ever heard if there's possible treatment to heal thickening of uterus?i have try checking internet but can't find any.
Any help is appreciated as i feel its taking long till i do MRI,i wish to have a clue to move on.
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After my dad who is 85 was diagnosed with Osteoporosis, I started doing some research. Most if not all these meds have so many side effects and are even thought to cause further damage to the bone. There are a lot of doctors starting to promote healthy diet changes as opposed to taking meds. The old theory that milk and dairy promotes bone health is now thought to be a scam funded with trillions of dollars by the dairy industry. So I'm curious, has anyone tried a plant based or starch based diet to reduce symptoms or even reverse their Osteoporosis?
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I am male 23 year old. I recently had a corneal laceration while playing. The ball hit directly and broke my eyeglasses. The doctor sutured the lacerated cornea with stitches and has put me on eye drops. It's been a week now and I still have blurry vision in the injured eye. I don't expect such fast recovery but how long can it take ?
Can anyone tell me if I will ever become normal or at least chances of being with normal vision again ? The doctor says it will be recovered but can take up to 2 to 3 months.
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Anybody heard anything about the use of omeprazole contributing to osteoporosis? I am considering stopping the use as I now have osteoporosis. Reading the suggestions to taper off is helpful and I will use them. Have a hiatal hernia and acid reflux but think that it may impede calcium intake.
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I'm 45, I started suspecting early menopause at the age of 37,which is when my symptoms started started including depression and anxiety, I have been on and off (mainly on) anti depressants since i was 39,I was 41 when my periods stopped altogether.
After 2 years of doctors advising me to go on hrt especially as i am early menopausal, i gave in 6 months ago and went on elleste duet. It has stopped my hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, dry skin etc: which is all
good but I'm still not convinced i am doing the right thing,I am very concerned about the cancer risks so I am thinking of coming off them as well as my mini pill (which i take to control my endometriosis) I am mostly concerned about osteoporosis, and my question is surely if i take Vit D and Calcium every day I can protect my bones in the same way ?
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I have had this condition where when I am bit by something, may it be mosquito or ant bites, a small blister forms around it. It is extremely itchy, and when popped, the blistered area is ulcerated. Now it does not become painful at all, but becomes more itchy. when scratched, it rarely bleeds, but becomes itchier even when the skin is obviously more damaged. When I stop scratching, the area releases clear, very slightly yellowish liquid (i'm assuming it's some sort of antibody the body releases), and it takes a VERY long time to heal.Now when i do leave it alone, it heals up and becomes brown, but the scar is still very, VERY itchy, even if fully healed.I have been researching the internet to what it may be for days now, and I have not found what it is. I have used anti-bacterial creams but it does not help. I am not sure if this could be a parasite, or could be fungal.
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I have just been diagnosed with Ls ! . Took a while but took myself to the local sexual clinic as my dr and nurse kept treating me for thrush !!! Knew it wasn't !!. I had diagnosed myself from reading the Internet !. Was happy to know finally what was wrong ! But nhs paints a unrealistic picture of it ! From when you start reading the other , real info about it ! About how horrible , painful , disfiguring it can be ! Not to mention ruining your sex life . And the risk of skin cancer !. At first it really freaked me out !. Then I thought right you bug ( as that is how it feels ! Like a bug burying under your skin and making me itch like my hubby does at night before he goes to sleep ! Lol. It found its way in to my body and I am going to make sure I find away to get it out !!. It is all new to me so at the moment I am reading like mad !. I understand that it comes from an unbalanced system ! They say that your gut is your second brain so I am going to start with healing my gut !. I am taking probiotics , also you need to clean out heavy metals ! That cause your body to be toxic ! So you need rose hip and then L-glutamine to heal leaky gut . They say skin conditions are a body screaming out , I am toxic !. So heal with diet of unprocessed foods , relaxation ! Cause a big problem to flare up your Ls is stress !!. Also coconut good for itching and moisturising !.
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I have general query regarding parathyroid disease in the context of women with 50+ years of age. Is osteoporosis a symptom of this kind of disease ? Or, does it need to be both vitamin-D3 & Ca to be high in Blood too ? For example, if x-ray shows osteoporosis & also vitamin-D3 (25 OH) is too low (i.e. < 15), can we simply rule out parathyroid disease here ? Or, to be sure, we need to test serum Ca as well ?
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