Metal in body + a bone fracture. Allopathic meets the logic of holistic (this forum)

[Nathan Daniel]

quick questions - trying to get some input from people I trust and respect (ie decent nurse and doctor friends and wholistcally minded folk)

Ok - I will write my "tale of woe" here:

1. I broke my patella
2 Basically because of the drama with my biz partner - I took it out of the cast too quickly - and did not get it checked - because of drama with biz partner - and that over-rided the larger medical logic of what was called for in the moment - but I was under great stress at the time.
3. Consequence of that is the bone did not fuse.
4. So scar tissue links to bone fragments
5. Went to see specialist in UK - he said if he were me and I can walk ok and function ok - not to have operation with wire to fuse the bone fragments
6. I don't feel I have anywhere near the mobility I had before - I am very much leaning toward operation
7. Doctor friend found these links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9181502

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20680273

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16170504

8. I have 3 questions I need to answer before Thursday when I go back to specialist - want your input if willing (ok if you are not)
Questions:
1. does having a wire versus not having a wire (ie leaving it as it is and relying on scar tissue bridge) impact the likelihood of arthritis in later life? Surgeon I met said no. No difference. Looking for other/2nd opinions

2.Surgeon said if after 8 weeks the bone does not fuse it never will. Hence operation only possibility. Or leaving it as it is.
Is there a choice of metals? I know with teeth research has been done that introducing mercury into body impact body badly. Obviously they won't use mercury. Doubt they would use Titanium because of expense - but probably most inert and strongest metal out there - right? What metal is it likely to be and any insight on impact on body's bio-physical reality over short and long term? I am guessing after bone fuses (6 weeks in brace again) they leave the wire/metal rod bridge (the two alternatives)
right? Or is it possible to take out? Need to check if they will and if it is recommended etc I am likely having operation on the NHS - ie in the UK on public health.

3. Third question I think my body has answered for me and basic logic also. The scar tissue that the body produces to bridge the gap is made of ligaments I would guess....I guess there is a mm or two break between the two bone fragments of the patella in my knee (the x-ray shows this). Is that bridge strong enough to go on with? It does not feel right and so I am leaning toward having the operation. Because my hunch is that the operation will bring me the normal proportional alignment back to the body and this will lesson the likelihood of back problems in later life (from the imbalance in the two legs).


Grateful for any input you might have to share. My questions to you are largely grounded in the pragmatic and physical reality realm. ie how best to treat the machine of walking consciousness for next 60 odd+ years etc

ND

[amoux]

I can't really comment on this except to say that my mother-in-law had a knee replacement and they used a titanium pin for that - and that was done under the NHS.

The only thing I can suggest to you is see an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in this type of operation. They all have varying specialties and if I were you I'd want the opinion of someone who has done a LOT of this type of surgery.

Best of luck to you.

[bonzer]

I can only comment from my own experience 15 yrs. ago.

Broke my ankle...tri-maleior (sp?) fracture...3 places. Surgery---1 rod, 2 plates, many screws.....the rod and plates were made of a synthetic alloy to metal.
One year later---surgery to remove all the hardware, hardly any recovery time needed.
For the last 15 years my ankle has been fine. There is little scar-tissue to speak of, because it is there to bridge that gap between bones, as you said. And yes, it is very strong (I weighed 200 lbs. for about 10 of those 15 yrs.) The only pain now is when it's extremely cold. It's like arthritis.

Our bodies heal so much quicker eating a high raw/living food diet. Bones grow together, arteries have even bypassed themselves to get blood to the heart in a video (I think it was "Eating" movie)

Mostly, go with what your inner voice tells you after a few moments of meditation.

Peace and be well,
Bonnie

[Bracken606]

Just to give you my experience. I was in a car accident 2 years ago almost to the day and had 16 broken bones. I received on the NHS in the UK titanium bars (x2) for my right arm, titanium bar (x1) for my right femur, full titanium right knee replacement and a titanium ankle joint and cage for my left foot. All of these metal objects will remain in my limbs with the subsequent screws and pins. I was told that they used titanium because i was still young and they were lighter in weight. Alternative metal is surgical grade stainless steel or alloy.

Because my femur shattered on impact i still have today an inch of bone that still needs to grow back, but can confirm that my bone has been regrowing consistently (slow as i have low bone density) for these 2 years, so yes it still grows to seal the gap.

Hope this helps.

By the way surgery was done after being airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxfordshire, aparently the best trauma clinic in Europe.

Simon.