Author: Foot Doc
Date: 10/16/2007 9:53 am PDT
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DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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In spite of your expressed relief regarding the lack of fracture, a fracture might have been the lesser of evils. Although the occurrence of a fracture does not preclude other damage to the foot, it is not uncommon for enough kinetic energy to be expended in fracturing the bone so that damage to other structures might be mitigated to one degree or another. Fractures, more often than not, with proper care, heal with return of full function of the bone. But soft tissues, such as ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and tendons may not only be slower to heal, if at all, but often do not return to their full pre-injury function even after maximum healing has taken place.
Of real concern in the situation which you have detailed is that, although their may not have been a frank fracture of bone, the forceful hyperextension of the toes may have resulted in torn ligaments and joint capsules as well as damage to the articular cartilage of the joint(s).
As is most often the case, and especially with traumatic injuries, without a hands-on examination, it is neither appropriate nor additive to your real knowledge of your situation to speculate on what might have happened or what the appropriate treatment should be. With trauma, there is often insufficient time and opportunity to choose one's doctor carefully. But if you have reason to believe that you are not receiving the proper care, or that you don't trust the prognosis as given, it would be well to take a little time to vet another doctor, and to have a second opinion. As time might be of essence, I would not delay in doing this, but would adequately check out the doctor first.
Finally, sometimes all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put Humpty-Dumpty together again. |
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