The Broken Arm Story
Feb. 25th, 2005 02:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cabensonI have received several requests on the story surrounding #8 of my Ten Meme post from yesterday.
I was diagnosed with Kienbock's Disease about 8 years ago. My case was advanced so surgery was the only option. Here's the short version:
The ulna (small bone in forearm) of my right arm was half an inch shorter than the radius. Because of this, the wrist bones often slipped causing a lack of oxygen to the primary wrist bone, the lunate. The lack of oxygen caused the bone to start dying. By lengthening my ulna, we were able to stabilize the lunate(and other wrist bones) and return the oxygen flow. To lengthen the arm (like they aren't already long enough), the surgeon cut the ulna in half and moved the bone down half an inch. He then harvested some soft bone tissue from my hip and placed it in between the two bone segments. One metal plate and four screws later, I was back together. It took over a year for the bone to regenerate, but it has never completely filled in the gap. Eighteen months after the initial surgery, I had the hardware removed. I have regained full strength in my arm, but not full flexibility in my wrist. It was a very painful procedure, but there was one person who got me through it all. The Lovely Kathleen, ortho nurse extraordinaire. Those hour long waits in the ortho office were worth it just to see her. I wonder where she is these days.
I got to keep my hardware, a six inch scar, and a copy of the X-rays and surgical notes as souvenirs.
I was diagnosed with Kienbock's Disease about 8 years ago. My case was advanced so surgery was the only option. Here's the short version:
The ulna (small bone in forearm) of my right arm was half an inch shorter than the radius. Because of this, the wrist bones often slipped causing a lack of oxygen to the primary wrist bone, the lunate. The lack of oxygen caused the bone to start dying. By lengthening my ulna, we were able to stabilize the lunate(and other wrist bones) and return the oxygen flow. To lengthen the arm (like they aren't already long enough), the surgeon cut the ulna in half and moved the bone down half an inch. He then harvested some soft bone tissue from my hip and placed it in between the two bone segments. One metal plate and four screws later, I was back together. It took over a year for the bone to regenerate, but it has never completely filled in the gap. Eighteen months after the initial surgery, I had the hardware removed. I have regained full strength in my arm, but not full flexibility in my wrist. It was a very painful procedure, but there was one person who got me through it all. The Lovely Kathleen, ortho nurse extraordinaire. Those hour long waits in the ortho office were worth it just to see her. I wonder where she is these days.
I got to keep my hardware, a six inch scar, and a copy of the X-rays and surgical notes as souvenirs.
