I am a HH nurse with a compression fracute at T10

Specialties Orthopaedic

Published

I need advice. I fell about 6 weeks ago and to make a long story short have a compression fracture at T10 that has not healed. After me continuing to complain my MD reordered an xray yesterday and it said the same thing it said 6 weeks ago. The pain now is not severe but about 4 most of the time, but occassionally up to a 6 or 7--- but I must say dealing with pain day in and day out is miserable!!!

Initially he told me it would heal in 4-6 weeks and now he says give it 2 more. Could there be something else going on?

I have just been disgusted with this the whole time. Our ER didn't even do any xrays on the day I fell, then in 2 days of hardly being able to get out of bed my MD ordered films and at first they told me nothing was broken then after returning to work for 2 days they called me and said after looking at them better they did find a fracture but continue to work just no heavy lifting. So I have worked, in misery for 6 weeks but I have.

Does anyone have any advice that could help me, should I seek a second opinion and go to an Ortho?

Thanks,

Shelley

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

http://www.spineuniversity.com/public/spinesub.asp?id=35

this is a patient teaching tool, but it explains it quite well. A lot will depend on the state of your bones, are they osteoporotic, your age, the severity of the fracture and the physicians preferences. Our daughter fell from a tree limb and had cx fx of T 2,3 &5. She wore a Jewett hyperesxtension brace for about 5 months. Bracing and pain control are the first steps. If you have a severe deformity they may suggest kyphoplasty. Hope you are better soon. And yes, see a SPINE ortho.

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Thanks for your response. That link helped me some. The example xrays concerned me, they looked like what I thought a compression fracture would. I saw my xray Monday and it looked to me like a chip was missing not compressed. Actually the "chipped" area is what the xray tech pointed out to me when I asked him if he could still see the fracture??

Shelley

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http://www.spineuniversity.com/public/spinesub.asp?id=35

this is a patient teaching tool, but it explains it quite well. A lot will depend on the state of your bones, are they osteoporotic, your age, the severity of the fracture and the physicians preferences. Our daughter fell from a tree limb and had cx fx of T 2,3 &5. She wore a Jewett hyperesxtension brace for about 5 months. Bracing and pain control are the first steps. If you have a severe deformity they may suggest kyphoplasty. Hope you are better soon. And yes, see a SPINE ortho.

I agree, see a spine ortho. Good Luck. Hope you're feeling better soon.

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