Hi,I am Dr. Gopal Goel (Orthopaedic Surgeon). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
Broken Wrist, Inerted Plate And Screws, Soft Bone, Needs Surgery. Want Your Opinion?
I broke my wrist on 2/27/13. I had surgery on 3/1 where the MD put in a plate and some screws. Two weeks later I went for a re-check. They took X-rays and the MD says that my bones are so soft that the screws are not holding. He thinks I will need another surgery. Is that my only option? Also why didn't they do a bone density test before surgery?
Hello. Thanks for writing to us. Since already an internal fixation has been tried without any success, it needs a repeat surgery for proper reduction of the fractured fragments. Conservative treatment may lead to mal union. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. Regards, Dr. Praveen Tayal , drtayal72@gmail.com
Hi, thanks for writing to HCM. Generally, bones in elderly persons are osteoporotic and the implants may fail in certain situations when they lack good hold in the native bone. If you are not an elderly person, the above statement will not hold true. And there could be some other reason for loosening of the screws. Bone densitometry is routinely not advisable before surgery as simple Xrays will generally show up the "Cortical" density of the bone through which the screws go inside. If the implants are loose and not holding the bone, there is no good reason to retain them inside. Regards
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Broken Wrist, Inerted Plate And Screws, Soft Bone, Needs Surgery. Want Your Opinion?
Hello. Thanks for writing to us. Since already an internal fixation has been tried without any success, it needs a repeat surgery for proper reduction of the fractured fragments. Conservative treatment may lead to mal union. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. Regards, Dr. Praveen Tayal , drtayal72@gmail.com