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I found out yesterday I have a radius head fracture after I bounced down the black at Fort Bill. It's about 1.5 " down the middle of the top bone by the look of the xray. I'm now in a collar'n'cuff sling.
How well do these fractures mend? how long on average?
Is there anything I should do to help it recover? Am I better to totally immobilise the arm or let it move to stop muscle wastage?
Do you mean a radial head fracture (I'm assuming elbow joint) si it dispalced or non-displaced
Now as a medical professional, I can tell you that's what's known as a hurty, or poorly. Tea and toast, and stop up until the end of Doctor Who. Better now...
Radial, that was it. It's not broken anything off, just fractured. I think that is non-displaced, I'm no expert - hence my request for advice 😉
I've got a fractured radius at the moment, it's across not down though. Did it on the 3rd August and got an appointment on the 8th September when they'll hopefully take the cast off. I'm no expert either!
I snapped my Radius at the wrist a couple of years ago and had two pins inserted to hold it together and was back on my bike and playing golf after three months. No expert but i guess it won't be as long as that. Getting the movement back in the arm may take a bit of time though. May require physio. I was told the fracture itself would take 6 weeks to heal.
Ok - well not really enough info to go on but I'll have a go.
if the break is in the shaft and does not involve the joint and is not displaced it should heal well and relatively quickly. 6 wks or so for it to be solidly stuck together - another 6 wks at least to get full strength. No permanent deficit.
if the joint is involved then things get slower as ligaments actually often take longer to heal than bones.
As for moving it. I would say keep it fairly still until at least 4 wks but pester the Doc for an early physio referral and take their advice.
12 wks you should be good as new. 6 wks to be 80%
This is no substitute for proper professional advice.
thanks guys, I was after an order or magnitude, or a guestimate.
TJ - I hear you...This is no substitute for proper professional advice.
I managed a pretty minor radial head fracture last year, was back on the bike after 5 weeks, advice I was given was to try to move my arm as much as possible but not to lift anything (obviously!) I went fairly easy on it for the first couple of weeks, but as it became less painful moved it more. It worked for me as I'd regained 90% movement by 6 weeks and its almost 100% now.
That was the very first thing I ever broke, it also happened to be my very first mountain biking accident. I couldn't bend my arm for a while but compared with the subsequent fallouts it was no biggy. Give it time, don't force it and you'll be fine. I know these things.