Wrist Fracture -->Arthritis ---> Wrist Fusion?

[RhinoinMN]

I had surgery two weeks ago on my wrist. I shattered my radius at the joint. Doc says that in 1 or possibly 10 years I may need a cartilage fusion (pardon the terminology) cuz There is none left or very little left. What exactly is that and what is the rehab.

These are my x rays that show the screws, plate, wires etc. Thanks.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/RhinoinMN/xray020.jpg
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/RhinoinMN/xray019.jpg

[Dr Steve]

I had surgery two weeks ago on my wrist. I shattered my radius at the joint. Doc says that in 1 or possibly 10 years I may need a cartilage fusion (pardon the terminology) cuz There is none left or very little left. What exactly is that and what is the rehab.

These are my x rays that show the screws, plate, wires etc. Thanks.

That's a hell of an injury, my friend.

What happens is that this kind of injury is never completely fixable; you can't return the wrist to it's pristine perfect anatomy with a bunch of screws and plates. They can get darned CLOSE, which is why orthopedists never cease to amaze me.

There will be rubbing of bones, there will be things scraping against things that weren't there before, there will be inflammation. In around 10 years or so, you MAY develop arthritis in some of the joints, causing pain and stiffness. If it's severe enough, you may qualify for a fusion of the wrist. Fusion bonds the bones together so they can't rub against each other any more. You would be trading flexibility for pain. A fused joint generally does not hurt.

10 years from now they may be able to do all kinds of things unheard-of now, so I wouldn't worry about it until the time comes. Seriously, they'll be treating this differently then.

good luck my friend.

Here's a decent article on wrist fusion for further reading:

http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/wrist/wrist-fusion.html


steve

[RAAMONE]

you went to the hospital for that........pussy

[patsopinion]

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/3067/dance.jpg

[RhinoinMN]

This is the best thread ever. I seems I started it, but I don't remember starting it.

Oxycontin is the besssssst!

[RAAMONE]

This is the best thread ever. I seems I started it, but I don't remember starting it.

Oxycontin is the besssssst!

dont sound too happy...

the way your 2008 is going you'll end up Overdosing and passout and rebreak the wrist and also break the other wrist but it will be much worse than the first one

[Chimee]

I've got this great afro pick joke that I bet no one has ever heard before.

[RhinoinMN]

I've got this great afro pick joke that I bet no one has ever heard before.

I haven't.
I did hear one about a dinner fork and one about a broken sword knife handle.

The sword knife handle one was the best.