Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello,
I have lateral malleolus fracture at the end of my fibula. My leg in the cast 5 weeks till now. I do x-ray every week but I can't see change. I'm 40 years and smoker. I don't know if smoking affect the healing or not. And also I want to know what is the time to put off the cast. Or this fracture is nonunion ?
Thank you.
0 likes, 4 replies
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kpower BS77
Posted
Yes, smoking is well known to interfere with bone healing-- your doctor should have told you that upfront. Now is an opportune time to quit smoking.
If you are getting x-rays every week (that sounds like overkill) your physician should be communicating to you any progress in bone mending. At 5 weeks it is still too early to say there is a non-union condition. Again, your doctor should keep you in the loop and explain all this to you clearly.
If you attending doctor is not keeping you fully informed on your condition and prognosis then you are better off finding another practitioner.
Best wishes.
BS77 kpower
Posted
Thanks kpower,
I wish I can upload my x-ray pics here but I don't know how to make this.
Two doctors see them but one compare the first x-ray without cast with the last one with cast and he see no change. The other doctor compare the first x-ray after cast with the last x-ray with cast and he see change. So, I'm very confused. I don't know who is right. One of them said 6 weeks casting and the other said 8 weeks but I don't know if that enough or not and what will happen after that.
mary95859 BS77
Posted
I feel your pain. I'm a smoker and I tell you that you have to cut back and do everything else perfectly. I'm drinking 2-3 glasses of milk a day to flood the body with calcium. I ultimately healed in a month after having to serve 23 days in jail. Can't tell my surgeon this but it's true. I have recently had a fusion and am looking into hypnotherapy. After my surgery I got a wound infection . It's miserable because if you're home bound you have nothing to do but smoke. You have to do something. It's never too late.
BS77 mary95859
Posted
Thanks mary5859 for replying. I feel your pain. I wish you will be ok soon. I don't know what I should do. Stay for months with cast or what. I don't know.