Delayed start for my sons boating season

RWilson2526

RWilson2526

God
Got a call Friday afternoon from my sons after care at his school. "Mr Wilson, Jake just fell off the monkey bars and I think he broke his leg" The kid that made the call sounded scared out of his wits. All of this of course is happening on his birtday no less (7 years old)

The details are sketchy but the long and short of is that he fell from the top of playground equipment and in a straight down movement landed on his right leg. His femur fractured completely in two and resulted with what they call "severe angulation and displacement" The two pieces were about 90 degrees to each other with one end about 2" up from where it was supposed to be....

Got to the school in time to see 2 ambulances, police, fire , the whole damn towns emercency services it seemed. Took the ride in the ambulance. I knew it wasnt good when they immediately gave him and IV and morphine for the pain...that and the grotesque bulging of his thigh....did not break through the skin fortunately.

The fix apparently for 6 to about 11 year olds is fortunately the best of all procedures....5 years old or less they put you in a full body cast for about 2 months....older than 12 they go with solid rods and screws and such as most of the growing is done already....for his age they use what they call stabilizing flexible nails where after aligning the bones again, they drill into the rounded part at the bottom of the femur above the knee and drive in long flexible titanium nails, one on each side, and push them up all the way to the top of the femur....they are kind of bowed and the outward pressure of the bowed metal keeps everything in place....2 tiny incisions above the knee and and ace bandage, no cast at all and was home by 4:00 pm on Saturday....as the surgeon called it "really a marvel of modern medicine" Will be in a wheel chair apparently for 6 weeks or so as he wont be able to put any weight on it. If this had happened just a few years ago he would have been hospitalized for about 3 weeks in traction and a full body cast for 8 weeks, would have to repeat the 1st grade due to not being able to finish and lord knows what else.

Thought about Spareparts and his daughter a few times while at the hospital thinking man this aint nothing compared to what some families go through but it really put a perspective on some things.

here's a link showing the procedure...pretty cool stuffhttp://www.jbjs.org.uk/cgi/reprint/86-B/7/954.pdf
 
Last edited:
RW wow that is a harrowing experience. When something happens to our little ones it is a very scary situation....I'm so glad he is going to be alright.

Remarkably a very similar experience just happened to my nephew within the last 2 weeks. He was at school horseplaying with a friend. Hit the friend with a football, so his friend pushed him while he wasn't looking. The end result being my 12 year old nephew fell backwards and broke his humerus (big arm bone b/t elbow and shoulder) extremely close to his shoulder trying to brace for the fall. His too was broken completely in two. To complicate matters they could not get it set without surgery because the bones had separated such that the flesh (muscle, and whatnot) had gotten between the break and the gap couldn't be closed.

He's got 3 of the temporary nails you described - you did a good job describing it too I might add! Also has a very large incision from armpit to the top of the shoulder where they had to lay him open. He's doing great now but in for a long recovery.

Here's to a speedy recovery for your son....and my nephew.
 
Wow! Hoping for a speedy recovery for your son. I don't know if I could handle this and share the way you have.
 
best wishes for a a speedy recovery. I've spent way to much time sitting in a hospital, and my wife has probably spent 5 times more time in than i have(I think she likes it there). there was a time that I allways kept $5 in change for the vending machine and a good magazine nearby, just in case we ended up there(happens a lot in this family). They allways have more than enough womens magazines, but never enough guy magazines. I get strange looks reading "Guns and Ammo" sitting in the waiting room, keeps the weirdos away. Sounds like the docs have everything taken care of, good luck.
 
Damn Rob.. Hope he has a speedy recovery with no complications!!!. My son had a very serious motorcycle accident in Dec of last year (broke his back) and he's just getting the turtle cast off his back and ribcage this week, so I know only too well about the nervous times sitting in the hospital.
Your son has my prayers for a quick heal. :clap:
 
Thanks for the well wishes guys....Blue, the doctor said that could be a problem during the procedure...if muscle or tissue gets between the two pieces of bone he would have to make an incision at the fracture point to push the stuff out of the way....fortunately didnt have that issue....took the surgeon all of 35 minutes for the whole procedure.....

I got a feeling the recovery is going to be tough....he's scared to death to even move his leg as I believe he thinks its going to break if he moves it....Its not helping that my wife and I are just as scared to move him so between the three of us we are a mess. I unfortunately think I shared too much information with him about the break and how they fixed it and I think he's pretty freaked out....he screams if I even come near him to pick him up and move him around...physical therapist starts coming today...he's gonna make that poor sob work for their money.....time will tell.
 
RW That is great they were able to do it without the incision and in only 35 minutes. They tried to get by without the incision on my nephew but finally realized it had to be done. I believe his took over 2 hours. Of course we're comparing a leg to an arm and two totally different fractures so obviously a lot of variables.

Spare, I can't begin to imagine what your family has been through.

Destroyer sorry to hear about your sons back but also happy to hear he's about to take a big step on his recovery in removing the cast. I know he's glad.

CTT - I knew it too. And that MJ comment was spot on I must say. :hi:
 
Man, tough break!

Good luck on healing fast! At least it wasnt full body. I know a boy that had that done when he was about 4...damn near sent him and his mom over the edge...
 
wow Rob that sucks. Hope the little guy has a speedy recovery. There must be something in the air because my 10 year old boy recently broke his wrist. Luckily it is his left one and he is a righty. So he can still do his school work. Although he doesn't see it that way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top