Radial head fracture

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Feb 24, 2012
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Anyone every fracture their radial head?

I had a big fall off a roof and fractured my radial head. Non displaced. Dr doesn’t want me in a splint or cast. Wants me to try and move it so keep my range of motion. Hoping it heals fairly quick for season
 

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Beendare

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Justin, I've followed your excellent comments on these boards for many years.........I feel like I should know you.


Sorry to hear about the fall and hope you heal quickly.

________
 

nrh6.7

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Not quite the same, maybe, but went over a barbed wire fence after a downed bird and lost my balance on the way down. Landed on a straight leg and tore the acl, medial meniscus and fractured the underside of my femur. When I had it all fixed the doc drilled tiny holes in the femur to aid in healing. Not sure of the science on this, but it was around 2006 and have been great since. Good luck!
 

mlgc20

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<Googles “radial head”. Turns out its not a piece of hunting equipment, a car engine part, or mid-80s English rock band. It‘s part of your arm. Good to know.>

Dude, that sounds painful. Hope it heals quickly and doesn’t interfere with hunting.
 

Tango1

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Yes, went through this about 8 yrs ago. Hit by a car while riding my road bicycle. Also destroyed my femur. Surgeon replaced the femur with a Ti rod and wired/screwed it all together. The entire process was amazing. They had me up and moving the day after surgery and on an aggressive rehab program within a week. Still had massive muscular atrophy but it all comes back quickly as long as you find a good PT person and hit the rehab program aggressively. I probably overdid the rehab exercise at some points, but I always went beyond what was assigned to me. It was a year before the limp went away completely, but I rode a gravel century 9 months to the day after being hit. Modern medicine is incredible as long as you follow the rehab.

I remember several people starting PT/rehab with me and it quickly became clear who was doing the therapy and who was sitting on their ass at home feeling sorry for themself. My PT guy said only about 40% of people take the rehab seriously and the rest just complain and never truly recover. He always told patients that the outcome is in your hands and he was correct.

Having some goals in mind really helped me stay motivated during recovery. I stayed focused on riding again and getting into the ID mountains elk hunting. I wasn’t riding fast and I didn’t climb well elk hunting the next year, but I was back for both activities. Good luck! You’ll be back quickly.
 

chasewild

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I've had back injuries, knee injuries, pelvis injuries, etc. and the irreducible minimum is the PT -- every time. For both my knee and my back, I was doing PT 4-5 times a day to gain range of motion and keep swelling down. I worked as a ski tech when I hurt my knee and I would take 20 minutes every two hours to do my exercises and then I would do strength at night/before work along with visits to the PT 2-3 times a week. With my back, as a lawyer, I would do exercises every hour on the hour with strength in the morning and at night and visit the PT 1-3 times a week. The hardest part about being hurt is the constant wondering of whether you're getting better -- you are. Just do the work.
 

Tango1

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chasewild is right on.....some days it will feel as though you're not making any progress, but the improvement is slow and incremental. Stay with the PT and you'll be amazed at how "quickly" it all comes together. My little mental trick was never allowing myself to shoot my bow until I'd done my PT for the day. It was a great game I'd play. Guys at the range had a good laugh about me using my walker, then cane to get to the firing line, but it was actually a good time all things considered. The leg got better along with my shooting.
 
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justin davis
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Well, as my dad would say......rub some dirt on it, and get back to work.
Yep that’s what I did. Ha. Supposed to wear a sling. But I’ve been wearing no sling. Got back to working on things ha. Just trying to use my left hand but keep forgetting and using my right.

Just hoping it heals up so I can shoot my bow for Hunting season.

Next week go to the dr again to see if it’s healing ok.
 
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justin davis
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Yea radial head fracture is the radius bone. Have fractured at the head of it that is in the elbow

I guess this fracture is unique in that they don’t cast it. Because they want the arm to straiten otherwise you use range of motion in your elbow.
 

Roy68

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My oldest son fractured his during club wrestling season one year. I believe he was 12 at the time (his mother would know). As I remember it; in a sling only if he needed for a short while otherwise using it with caution. If it hurt he stopped doing whatever it was. He healed up pretty quick. Then again kids seem to heal up in a week or two from every type of injury.
 

5MilesBack

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Bow arm huh? You may have to shoot left-handed this year. :unsure:

I would imagine that a fracture like this would be worse for the bow arm putting more pressure against the radial head with a straight arm. But I would expect it to be "good enough" by September. Back in the 90's I broke my right collar bone in the shape of an angle ">" where the one open end of the angle had broken away from the other end, and I was out golfing 8 weeks later........with only a half swing. It took 9 months to fully heal but all that open area had to fill in with new bone. Your break is still intact, so you shouldn't have any problems making hunting season.
 
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justin davis
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Bow arm huh? You may have to shoot left-handed this year. :unsure:

I would imagine that a fracture like this would be worse for the bow arm putting more pressure against the radial head with a straight arm. But I would expect it to be "good enough" by September. Back in the 90's I broke my right collar bone in the shape of an angle ">" where the one open end of the angle had broken away from the other end, and I was out golfing 8 weeks later........with only a half swing. It took 9 months to fully heal but all that open area had to fill in with new bone. Your break is still intact, so you shouldn't have any problems making hunting season.

It’s my drawing arm. Yea I agree I think it would be more of a problem with my arm. Holding the bow because of the pushing. The Dr told
Me to try and work on straitening it. But he said not to close it. So not to go less than 90 degrees.
But yea I think I’ll be good to go hopefully come hunting season
 
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