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Unable to lift forearm after humerus fracture in June 2023.
Dear all,
I am in desperate need of advice.
I am a patient of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and i had fractured my right arm at the humerus due to hyperextension. It happened in last year June and was on full length cast for 3 weeks.
After that, i am experiencing total weakness and movement restrictions on my right hand.
1) I can't lift up my right forearm.
Eg. Unable to lift my forearm to feed myself and do basic typing on IPAD despite resting my elbow on the table. I have no strength
2) I can't rest my right hand on bed totally when i flex my elbow outwards.
I mean the back of my palm is unable to rest on the bed.
My right hand will get stuck in a 90 degree position.
3) Shoulder and bicep hurts when my caregiver tried to raise my right hand in an overhead position. I suspect is it SLAP Tear?
I did go for physio but somehow it doesn't help with the strength.
What else can i do to regain my strength and the flexion of my hand.
Below is my hand X-Ray
Left is Oct 2023, Right is Aug 2023.
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Did you have treatments with an Occupational Therapist after your arm came out of the cast? I broke both bones in my left forearm in Sep. 2023 and was in a “soft cast” for 6 weeks and then had Occupational Therapy for three months to get my arm back to full usefulness and strength. I saw the OT person twice a week for the first few weeks then once a week until I had full usage of my arm. It sounds like you need OT treatments for your arm.
Has your surgeon commented on your x-rays? The bone does not look like it has healed straight?
Ask your Dr if there was a nerve injury when you fractured your arm. More PT or another PT opinion might help. I wonder if some kind of brace might help.
Please give follow up
Jackieinsig,
You might consider getting an MRI. It sounds like you have nerve compression from the break or from the treatment. One trouble with nerve compression is that it continues to damage the nerve or nerves. An MRN would image the nerves in a way that an MRI doesn't. I don't think x-rays are useful at all.
Nerve conduction studies could also be helpful.
It seems as though your nerves are compressed in various activity related positions. It is in those positions that you would want the imaging.
I wouldn't accept hesitation by an physician in getting the MRN ordered. Usually the hesitation is a cost consideration. If your physician hesitates ask for a referral to a physician who can order. You could get an appointment meanwhile with a pain clinic ( I like the university pain clinics.)
A nerve can be obstructed at several points called double crush.
Be aggressive.
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1 Reaction@jackieinsg I suggest that you follow up with your orthopedic doctor or get another opinion from an orthopedic surgeon. I am wondering why this was not fixed with internal surgical plates to hold the bones correctly while healing?
I am not a medical professional, but it looks to me like the bone moved out of alignment and the fracture is still evident in the later images. I do not know if your bones have fused together and healed or not. This is something you need to know.
Jennifer
Hi @jackieinsg - you may notice that your x-rays were removed. I did this because they showed some personal identifying information and Mayo Clinic Connect is a public website. I suggest if you share x-rays or photos, you remove or black out the information if possible.