Heavy Metal Club

[99Bandit]

I wish I had the X-Rays from my "incident". A highside at about 45 MPH caused several shattered bones in my left foot that required several screws and once that healed, required the ankle to be fused.

Since I had been on crutches or a cane for over 2 years and favoring my left leg, I ended up destroying one of my discs in my lower back so, now that is fused too.

I was pretty bummed when my Dr wouldn't give me the first set of screws from the foot after they were removed. They said that there was a bunch of paperwork and sterilization issues to deal with in order to give them to the patient.

I think they were just lazy.

[Hardhead]

My PT hinted at some sort of brace that could be worn at night to help straighten my arm. Im at about the same time frame as you and have about 90% ROM back. About 10deg from straight and i can almost bend it to touch my shoulder. Rotation is almost normal as well.

Originally Posted by zora

Has anyone on here, who had a broken arm/elbow, used one of these?





My surgeon suggested it last week since I am five months out and still only have about a 90 degree bend to my arm. Insurance won't way the $1900 price tag. Stinks cuz I could gain my ROM back so much quicker with the device, but insurance prefers to pay up to $8000 in PT visits and prolong my recovery.



So I am wondering if this little contraption is worth me paying for it out of my pocket or if anyone has a used one for sale....

[zora]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

About 10deg from straight and i can almost bend it to touch my shoulder.

Holy smokes. Good for you!

Wonder wtf I am doing wrong.

[Hardhead]

If you're doing what the PT and surgeon tells you, then you're doing the right thing.

Me... I'm just a stubborn prick!

(didn't tell you that I'm having heaps of trouble with my shoudler now though)

Originally Posted by zora

Holy smokes. Good for you!

Wonder wtf I am doing wrong.

[russbryant]

Originally Posted by zora

Has anyone on here, who had a broken arm/elbow, used one of these?


My surgeon suggested it last week since I am five months out and still only have about a 90 degree bend to my arm. Insurance won't way the $1900 price tag. Stinks cuz I could gain my ROM back so much quicker with the device, but insurance prefers to pay up to $8000 in PT visits and prolong my recovery.

So I am wondering if this little contraption is worth me paying for it out of my pocket or if anyone has a used one for sale....

zora,

I used one but it wasn't as nice as that one and I was already nearly getting to full bend at the time I started using it. I'd say it sped up the process only a little. But, this was after I already had some of the metal removed from my elbow. You might be able to rig up something with those exercise bands to keep tension on your arm to make it bend. My PT said those braces use a constant tension on you muscles to fatigue them until they relax and the arm bends a bit more.

Are you gaining any ROM or are you stuck at 90 degrees? What does your PT person think is stopping your elbow? Ortho Docs are pretty arrogant and counting the one who put all that metal in me, I saw 4 Drs. who all said the hardware was not the cause of my lack of range. Yet as soon as I had some of it removed I started seeing good progress. Funny thing is that they all took x-rays and looked at them but not one of them actually moved my arm to feel what was going on.

Russ
Tucson

[bracky72]

New member to the club. Compound tib fib resulting from a hit and run. Tomorrow is my eighth day of recovery. Rock on.



Later the same day.

[lineareagle]

Nice piece!
This is the full Monty for sure. Hope the healing proceeds well and quickly. Vitamin d and good nutrition help a lot at this stage and the fun is just beginning, but you shall prevail!

[Gimpinator]

Your surgeon did an excellent job. Very neat!

Best of luck in your recovery. Give it plenty of time. I'm one year out on a hip fracture / screw repair and I'm still gaining strength. At least I can flip the leg over the GS, but it's still not 100 percent.

[Eyes Shut]

Hey bracky72 -- Yipes!! You have my sincere sympathies. I had a compound fracture of my tib/fib plus fractured ankle in December 2011. I was 12 weeks non-weight bearing, finally got to walk on my own two feet (without crutch or cane) just about a year ago. My knee is still stiff (will probably always be that way), but I can do essentially everything I was doing before the accident.

I found this cast cover to be way better for showering than trying to wrap your cast in plastic bags:
http://store.drycorp.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=34

I also used a fleece toe cover to keep my toes from getting too cold. Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lightweight-Ca...Adult-Black/dp
/B0032TT2WI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_1

And as you are sitting around, you can spend time on this site:
http://www.mybrokenleg.com/

Hope you heal up well. Don't push it and be sure to give your body time to heal. It does get better! (And drink lots of water to stay ahead of the stoppage caused by the painkillers.)

[C-Stain]

Well, if you've read "Biffed off the Beemer" you know that I had a wee get off that caused a boatload of damage to my left leg. I am now a member of the "Heavy Metal Club". I've still got about 3.5 weeks before I can consider weight bearing and physio. I hope the time goes quickly.

I had an IM Nail repair on April 23, 2013. The Beemer had no damage.

[motorrat]

Originally Posted by zora

Has anyone on here, who had a broken arm/elbow, used one of these?





My surgeon suggested it last week since I am five months out and still only have about a 90 degree bend to my arm. Insurance won't way the $1900 price tag. Stinks cuz I could gain my ROM back so much quicker with the device, but insurance prefers to pay up to $8000 in PT visits and prolong my recovery.



So I am wondering if this little contraption is worth me paying for it out of my pocket or if anyone has a used one for sale....

Hiya!

Nice device!
But expensive though!, could try if they rent them?

no-budget alternative;



A meter of pipe (plumber) and same lenght of Theraband will also give your Dynamic Low Load Prolonged Stretch

In your case, I`m not sure what your ROM is (range of motion) fully extended is 0 degrees full flexion (about 145 degrees)

After 5 months I doubt if you will gain significanty, but it also depends on the "feel" bouncy has a better outcome than Hard.

Try it for a week (only if the ellbow isn`t warm or swollen)