Stress Fracture of Fibula - Pain & Healing Question (unusual case)

To add to this, i've just got off the phone with my doctor to ask why it's so painful.

He told me that on his notes, it says that the cast is NON WEIGHT BEARING ... so i should've been told this.

He doesn't know why it's painful, so i should see him next Tues. Thinks it's something to do with swelling.

I still can't imagine this working after 16 months though....?

To add to this, i've just got off the phone with my doctor to ask why it's so painful.

He told me that on his notes, it says that the cast is NON WEIGHT BEARING ... so i should've been told this.

He doesn't know why it's painful, so i should see him next Tues. Thinks it's something to do with swelling.

I still can't imagine this working after 16 months though....?

EDIT:
Well, just in case anyone checks this thread in future as it might link to their case ..... i did quite a bit of googling last night and only really came back with 1 bit of info. A chap had something similar, but 12 months had passed. Can't remember if he had stress fracture of the fibula, but i remember it being a similar thing (i was reading quite late at night so can't remember fully lol).
Anyway, only 1 person replied, telling him that after 12 months, the bone will have done most of its healing, and he couldn't see much more healing happening with a cast on at that point.

As it's the only real info i've found, i took it with a pich of salt, as i also read that pains in your leg whilst having a cast on are (1) normal (2) not normal (3) due to the bone healing (4) due to the deteriorating & lack of muscle usage .... depending on which person posting a reply you decided to believe.

So in short, i'm still looking for info. Hopefully the doc can provide me with some on Tues.

Well, the above aside...

On the topic of plates & pins...

The specialist i see seems to want to get through everything at top speed without having time to fully explain. As i may have a plate, i would like to understand it a bit better.

My understanding is that, a fracture is simply a break. A stress fracture is not quite a full break, but is cracked.
Now if you have a plate, then your bone will be getting drilled into. Surely this is even worse than a fracture as holes are getting put into your bone. Especially bad if it's ever taken out, as the holes wont even be filled by the screws in that case.

I know it can't be this simple as plenty of people have had this procedure. Hopefully you can see my logic behind the ocncern. I'm just looking for someone to explain it a bit bettet / put my mind straight.

thanks

I'm wondering if you ever found anything else out about your fracture. I only ask because I think that I may have the same problem as you... only different.

About six months ago, I knelt down and felt something go wrong with my right knee. I thought I heard a pop at the same time too, but was kind of in shock because of the pain. Having had knee strain and sprains before I thought nothing of it until it became more intense. . I filed workman's comp and fully expected to go see a doctor within a week. However, a hurricane force wind hit the area causing phone lines and electricity to go out for more than three weeks. I didn't see a specialist until about a month later and by that point the pain had settled into a dull, throbbing ache.

He took x-rays and since there was no visible issue, suggested that I sprained the ligaments and told me to stay off of it for a few weeks. However, after those weeks had passed, I was no better. Starting to puzzle the Dr. he then ordered a MRI to see if there was something else wrong. MRI came back clean. He recommended Physical Therapy. THAT KILLED ME! They used a ultrasound machine and electro stimuli devices which only aggravated my knee to the point where I was near tears. Puzzling the therapists they referred me to speak with my Dr. again.
Needless to say I have been through many versions of what could be wrong with my knee.

After an injection (made my knee swell up to the size of a cantaloupe) and moist heat therapy, alternative correction (chiropractic adjustments), I've been told that my ligaments surrounding the fibula are so loose that the bone has slightly been moved forward from it's primary location in the leg.
I'd think I'd feel something like that and have more pain.
So now, after six months later it's still aggravated, doesn't respond to any type of treatment, been on and off of crutches as well and I've had three doctors tell me that surgery is the only remaining option. I really don't know what else there could be.

I've had problems with my bones and joints since I was a kid and have had trouble with this knee before this. Since this isn't the first time I've had trouble with it and everything has come back clean, or didn't work, I wonder if I haven't had a stress fracture in the past that has now been aggravated by all the treatments done and the repetitive kneeling nature of my previous job.
I'm not against it surgery, just really want to avoid it if I can. Especially since they are just guessing now.

*fingers crossed* And hope your fracture has healed up nicely since your last post. :)

Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope it gets better real soon!! But it doesn't sound good does it.

I saw the specialist again today. Apparently he has had meetings with other people about my condition & they all say (or rather 'do') the same thing ......... they all shrug their shoulders. Nobody knows what's wrong, nobody has any answers.

It could be many things. Apparently it may not even be a stress fracture so i'm totally lost.

I am waiting on an appointment for a 2nd bone scan, which we both believe (if accepted for one so soon) will come back with the same results.
From this, it's likely i will then be put forward for a plate fitted to the fibula. Hopefully this will heal it. Hopefully i'll not pick up any infection & hopefully the worst thing that will happen is i'll just not improve instead of going BACKWARDS.

Am truly fed up of the whole thing now. Still playing the waiting game.