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osteoporosis and fracture treatment

Posted , 4 users are following.

oscar80077
oscar80077

last year i fractured my ankle, it healed but i recovered stability only partially, i have a sedentary job and also used the foot brace way too much.

this summer i forced myself to walk and pains started to increase,  i just had x-rays results that show secondary osteoporosis to the leg. the doctor suspects i have a stress fracture to my calcaneus and put me in the walker boot no weight bearing 4 weeks.

i wonder if this further immobilization could be bad for osteoporosis, it looks like a long time for a stress fracture.

so is the time needed to heal osteoporotic fracture longer than a healthy one?

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • kathleen65757
    kathleen65757 oscar80077

    Posted

    Have you had a DEXA scan on back and hips? Do you have your tscores?

    Are you saying you had a fracture as a result of osteoporosis?

    People fracture who do not have osteoporosis as often as those that do.

    I have osteoporosis but have never had a fracture and hoping not to have one.

    Can you tell a little more about your history. 

    My worst tscore is in the lumbar region and is -4.3. I am 72 and was diagnosed about two years ago.

    • oscar80077
      oscar80077 kathleen65757

      Posted

      thanks for answer

      i'm 30 and last year i fractured my ankle when i flew downstairs cartoon-style, but they could find no  breaks on x-ray. before the CT scan i fell from crutches and then the break was clear: "tarsus-malleolar with closed reduction". no osteoporosis at the time

      since i had fractured both the sides of the ankle i was put in the full plaster then the short cast and finally the plastic boot. the last x-ray showed secondary osteoporosis caused by the immobilization.

      the ankle remained very unstable so i had to undergo ligaments reconstruction (another 8 weeks with the boot). then i had the dexa scan and the result doesn't show osteoporosis apart from the damaged leg, so i supposed it would have recovered in a matter of weeks.

      only the physio mentioned that it could take a bit longer in my case because i'm very light, but i was 29... so didn't care. i started using the ankle brace more and more because i still feel the ankle is weak, when the ortho gave me the last news yesterday i was only partially surprised.

      i think the doctor explained my points could be around -3 to -4? it didn't sound that bad at the moment.

    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 oscar80077

      Posted

      You are welcome Oscar.

      I learn more all the time.

      Apparently, some young people have a lack of a a certain hormone that causes osteoporosis which can be fixed. Check out another thread on here that was posted today.

      Maybe get to the bottom of why you have osteoporosis at 30. 

      At my age it is not a big surprise and also I am female.

      Worth investigation.....

    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 oscar80077

      Posted

      Correction....it is a para gland not managing calcium properly not a hormone.....
  • alison28608
    alison28608 oscar80077

    Posted

    It is possible that your lack of use has left you with some weakness, both in bone density and muscle mass. Find a good physio to give you suitable exercises to help strengthen both. Yes, it is painfull at first but, correct, early exercise, means you should be back on your feet and doing everything someone your age should be doing.

    Anyone can break a bone. People who do not have OP take part in contact sports, extreme sports, children fall out of trees, some adults experience physical violence. All of these can result in broken bones, but with OP, it only takes a fall from your standing hight, to break something. This does not happen to people with "normal" bones. People who carry extra weight, even with OP often don't fracture, because they have their own cushioning of adepose tissue. People who do nothing, have a higher risk because their bones become less dense, but if you never do anything, you are less likely to fall.

    See a physio and get started as soon as you can and good luck with your progress.

    • oscar80077
      oscar80077 alison28608

      Posted

      you are correct, i can feel my ankle needs to be exercised. and this 4 weeks in the walker boot non-weight can only make things worse.

      even the ortho specialist explained that breaking both sides of the ankle isn't strange with my kind of injury but my bones healed much slower than average. other people that breaks theyr ankles non displaced usually spend 5-7 weeks in the short cast and maybe the brace for some more weeks.

      my leg was immobilized more than 3 months, when the long plaster came off i had pains and my foot has never been "confortable" ever since.

      i had physio both after the fracture and after ligament surgery, i spoke with some people that started physio with me and i think they recovered faster.

      luckly my cartilage and tendons are perfect.

       

  • oscar80077
    oscar80077

    Posted

    hi

    i have to update this because i reinjured the foot again!

    after the stress fractures i spent 6 weeks non weight in the boot. i started walking in november and the ankle felt weak so i had to use the brace again. the physio suggestet to be careful but then the ankle started to get better so maybe i overdid.

    now i reinjured the foot badly when landed on it. i immediately understood that bones are broken, luckly i managed to immobilize the leg. x-ray was taken and shows everything should be aligned, now i'm waiting for further exams and a specialist visit.

    no osteoporosis was mentioned at ER after x-ray but i think it's still there. i wonder if it will slower the healing process.

    also: is it more difficoult to surgically fix osteoporotic bones than normal ones? i imagine that screws and pins are less effective in fragile bones but many elderly pple undergo femour surgeries no problems.

     

    • alison28608
      alison28608 oscar80077

      Posted

      I am sorry to hear this news. You must feel as if you are back to square one. OP bones donot heal as quickly as healthy bones, but the do heal. X rays donot give a clear indication of OP you need a dexa scan to show bone density. If you are taking medication, it can also interfere with bone healing so check, because you may need to stop taking them until the bones have healed. My own experience, but I am twice your age, is that bone, once broken, is never totally the same. The younger you are, the better for healing. Sorry thats not terribly helpful
    • oscar80077
      oscar80077 alison28608

      Posted

      thanks for answer

      yes reinjury has been a delusion, expecially because i opted for the ligaments reconstruction (2 months on crutches). probably my expectations were too high because i have been warne that the joint is unstable.

      i also find frustrating the fact that my bones heal so slow, i'm in the upper limit of what is considered normal. infact they didn't prescribe the scan but it's so boring being in cast that i hope some surgery could speed up the proces.

      i also underestimated the severity of the first fracture, only recently i was explained that the long leg cast isn't usually applied for broken ankles.

  • alison28608
    alison28608 oscar80077

    Posted

    I understand how difficuilt it is to be patient. I went back to running 2 weeks after I fractured my back and possibly did more damage. You really need to get advice from a good  physio asap. I am sure they will advise, as soon as sufficent healing has taken place, to do the appropriate gentle exercise building up, as the muscles, tendons and ligaments get stronger. Try to be patient now for a better result in the future. Best wishes
  • oscar80077
    oscar80077

    Posted

    i just had x-rays to check fracture alignment and went well so now i can only wait.

    last wednesday finally the temporary cast was removed and the full leg plaster applied, i admit i was nervous.

    even with pain medication the process has been very painful. they had to move the bones and shape the plaster tight, worst part was when they put pressure on both sides of the foot.

    the ankle was very unstable and i know this time immobilization will be at least 8 weeks, the nurse who cut the shoe off also told i won't need another for some times...

    anyway i was reassured about osteoporosis, probably doesn't slower the healing. but it will require some weeks in walking cast. so this time we choose to avoid the plastic boot as next treatment.

    friday i was released and sent home, now my ankle feels perfect in the cast. infact never felt so well in the last 2 years.

     

  • alison28608
    alison28608 oscar80077

    Posted

    That is great news Oscar. Try to be patient and let nature take its course. And get good  physio, when the time is right. I hope it continues to go well and no reason why it should not. Best wishes
    • oscar80077
      oscar80077 alison28608

      Posted

      thanks

      yes, i feel so much better and now i can put things in better perspective.

      apart for the swelling the foot is ok so now i'm convinced that the cast can be effective. i hope to have ok for weight bearing at next visit.

    • oscar80077
      oscar80077

      Posted

      i update, maybe can be useful

      the time in long plaster cast has been boring but remarkably painfree. my ankle felt so good that we decided to skip the cast change at week n.4.

      at week n.6 it started to feel loose around the leg, i hoped for a short walking plaster.

      but when the plaster was removed the ankle was painful and unstable so the doctor opted for another long cast. i was convinced to try fiberglass.

      at beginning it looked ok with plenty of padding and lightweight, but pains never decreased, and i had burning sensation in some points. i had to go back and have it changed with another long plaster.

      in the next weeks i'll be given ok to move my toes and rest the foot on the ground, if it doesn't hurt i'll be given a heel to start wb.

      so i think i learned something.

      the plaster cast can be molded precisely, this is why the immobilization is effective.

      wb helps to stimulate the bones but when it causes sharp pains and inflammation con slower or stop the healing.

      both nurses and cast man told me that OP bones heal slower, i was surprised to learn that refracture aren't that rare.

      also in non-surgical treatment there is only the cast to hold everything together, for sure the 1st fracture suffered from lack of immobilization.

      so it will take at least 3 more weeks in long plaster and then 4 in short walking cast

    • oscar80077
      oscar80077

      Posted

      i update as i'm out of cast finally.

      the short one had to be 6 weeks, i asked the rubber heel as i found it easier to walk on.

      in total was 4 months in the long cast and nearly 2 in the short one! last 3 months wb.

      happy to say that the knee was ok, actually i'm really surprised how good the ankle feels now after all this time. now i have a compressive bandage but it really feels ok.

      i had to be back on crutches but i can put quite good weight on it.

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