Has anyones child had k wires for a supracondylar fracture?

Devonshire dumpling

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As some of you know my daughter fell off the pony jumping, well we are now 5 weeks on and her K wires were removed yesterday and cast, so she is on day 2 of no cast!

I am aware of elbow stiffness post slings/op's (Husband had screws for a Olecranon elbow break)... but her range of motion is almost non existent, husband had slightly more movement immediately.

Anybody got direct experience ? X
 
I broke my wrist a few years ago and had a cast thumb to shoulder for 6 weeks, when it came off I had virtually no movement in my elbow, even though it wasn't that which had been damaged it had just seized up. Took about 8 months to get elbow back to normal (wrist took a lot less time!!) and several years on elbow still clicks sometimes and it didn't before the cast.
 
Not with K-wires but Bubs is pinned and plated.
When the cast came off she still had the stitches in.
She had no movement for the first couple of days, in all honesty I think she was scared to move it. Up until she had the cast removed she was wiggling her fingers!
When she realised that it wouldn't hurt she got 90% movement back. If she relaxes her wrists her one finger sticks out!
 
Thanks you two! Little Devonshire Dumpling is trying her hardest with physio and isn't particularily scared to move it, it just won't. hubby had lots more movement, but a different type of break and he still has metalwork present. Drs said she may be under them for yrs as it's on the growth plates etc, just thought she may have a little more movement than this, she can't move it up at all towards her shoulder, but has about an inch or two to straighten arm.

I don't think it has helped that she has been in a cast for 5 weeks as the break was initially diagnosed as stable, so wasn't operated on for 6 days post injury x
 
Poor thing, hope she's seeing some improvement soon. I remember the first couple of weeks after the cast came off my elbow felt totally seized, then slowly the movement came back, by about 3 months I had about 80% of flexibility, it was just that last 20% to get it completely straight which took forever to come back. I didn't have any plates or wires though, my break was pretty straightforward, if a little embarrassing as I managed to fall off my horse in the yard while he was stationary!
Best of luck x
 
Slightly different - I had K wires in my second/third toes, and have no range of movemnt in the joint below my big toe.

However, mine is potentially suspected arthritis, although the altered gait due to the K wires may have impacted.

I'd ask for a physio referral ASAP
 
My daughter fell off and did this when she was about 7. Apart from a scar and a dimple where the wire was she has not long term loss of movement. She did go for physio but really didn't need it so only went once.
I would try swimming to encoursge movement in a natural fun way. Having been in a cast she may have got stiff.My daughter also fell off the year before and had a fracture but did not need a cast so we did alot of swimming then which really helped.
 
We are now 1 week tomorrow post K wire removal and she still has no movement bending upwards (it's set at 90 degrees) but the lowering movement is coming, she is working really hard on her physio x
 
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