I don't post on here regular but I am hoping some of you may be able to advise. Sorry bit of a long story.

My son is 15 and in November he fell over whilst doing outdoor P.E. at school and broke his left forearm about 6 inches above his wrist. Both bones broke, and his arm obviously was bent. After looking at an x-ray he was admitted onto the ward and he had a temporary cast placed on him till the following morning where he went to theatre and had his arm placed in a cast. He went up to the hospital regular for check up and x-rays to make sure it was healing ok, and on the first of these visits after seeing his new x-ray I pointed out how one of the bones didn't look like it was aligned up properly. To which I was told it'll be ok, when the cast comes off in 6 weeks time it will look much better.

Well on 18th December, we went up to the doctor who said its time for the cast to come off and he told us to go to plaster room where they'll remove the cast and then go to x-ray for a final x-ray, which we did, he had his cast removed and low and behold his arm is bent, he went for another x-ray and when we get into see the doctor again (it was a different doctor from the one whom had seen him throughout the treatment and told us to get cast removed etc) And he put the x-ray up on his computer where you can clearly see one of the bones has not aligned properly and he said "your son is fine to go everything is fine", to which I said, "But his arm is bent and its not aligned properly", He then said "Had your son been younger I would have advised another cast for another 2 weeks as its only 50% healed but as he is older he's responsible enough to be careful and not get it knocked, which could cause it to brake again, if that happens, he'll need pins in it". He then said over time the joint will get stronger and as your son grows and starts filling out and growing muscle, the bend will not be as obvious.

Now he has started Physio as he couldn't straighten it, after his first session he can, thankfully. But the Physio explained that over time the join in the bone will become much stronger and could end up stronger than his non broken arm, again mentioning what the doctor had said about, how it'll heal, and he should have no problems with it.

Now my concern is this:

My son wants to go into the army when he leaves school, he has been over to the local army careers office (whilst he still had the cast on) and the sergeant explained he'd be ok to join up IF there was no metal work in his arm, which we was relieved to say there wasn't. He has to go back in March to fill out an application and do a test, then they will send him for a medical.

My mum reckons I should complain to the doc, but I don't want him saying ok we can re-do it and put pins in, as my son wouldn't get in the army.

However what I am wondering is, if anyone has experienced this if, the bone is likely to heal properly, and would this be likely to prevent him going in to the army.

Any advice gratefully received.

I would go to your GP and ask for a second opinion :)

if your really concerned get a second op. howver a firend of mine snapped his arm at the same age ish. you could see when he did it that from about 3 inches below his elbow his arm wasn't attached any more. i don't think he got pins in. his arm was still bent, and he had a couple of mobility issues. its fine now though. hope that helps

Can I please reassure you that your sons bone HAS healed properly. He, and his x rays have been seen by the medical team and deemed to be normal, as if they had not, they would not have allowed him to start physio, or come out of plaster, and the physio would not have agreed to give him treatment. He is better off out of plaster because the movement will encourage healing of the bone and further strengthening of muscle.
From your description in your post you do not mention if your sons arm itself is causing you concern, and it seems that it is improving with physio....it comes over that you are concerned about the appearance of the XRAY.Or more precisely YOUR interpretation of the x ray.
Firstly, if you are concerned that the bones are not perfectly lined up, then stop worrying, because fractures are never perfectly lined up, even with surgery, and it still heals with no problem at all. It sounds as though your sons x ray is perfectly normal for a recent fracture.
Secondly, in recent fractures, the healing process lays down extra bone, making the x ray look strange, but this bone dissolves and reshapes over time, in a process called "remodelling". It is possible then that with time the "bend" that you describe will actually diminish or disappear.
In the event that it does remain slightly bent, it will still be perfectly strong, and should not interfere with his function or ability.
It sounds to me that your son has had a standard fracture, with a standard recovery, and that you may be getting yourself in an unnecessary stress about the x ray...after all, you are not qualified to read them ( not trying to be rude here). Ask yourself honestly, if you had NOT seen the x ray, would you be as convinced that he had not had proper care?
I am all for patients and families being involved in care and receiving information, however i am also strongly of the belief that if viewing x rays is part of that, then care must be taken to explain the findings appropriately, and not leave people to make their own unqualified judgements....it just scares people!

( an example for me is one of my patients crying for days, inconsolably as she had seen her own normal chest x ray, refusing to believe doctors that the shadow in the centre was not cancer...it was in fact her own normal heart).
Feel free to seek a second opinion, but to me ( a physiotherapist of 20 years standing), it sounds normal, and i would not worry. Even if his arm is a bit lumpy, as his bone remodels and his muscle bulks up again, it will look more normal

My OH had a motorbike accident and broke his collar bone in six places. It was horrendously deformed and had many large lumps on it with one huge lump that stuck up by a good 2 inches. Over time the smaller lumps have disappeared altogether and the largest one of all is now just a small bump - just as his consultant said it would be :)

years ago over a 10 year period (gymnastics) broke quite a few bones, ribs, fingers and completely smashed a foot.... the foot was so badly broken that bone had to be cut away leaving a gap of a few mm and needed 'gyroscoped' to hold bones in allignment (not pinned) I was in this metal cast for nearly 6 months.. the bones grew towards each other and eventually fused.. another 6 months of physio before I could really walk properly again.. but always though I would be left with a limp.. not so... after a year the x-rays showed a thickening where the NEW bone had forged and was so much stronger than my original bone bone...

when I broke a single rib.. the xray showed up the previous two breaks.. the healed bone was much thicker and stronger again, than the original... and apparently had held firm when the 3rd break happened..

Re-growth bones are denser and more calcified.. and tend to be stronger

as a 16 year old I was devastated.. I was deformed lol... my mum who was a nurse kept trying to comfort me telling me the doctors were correct.. it all takes time..

now.. apart from a couple of very faint scars, you would never know the difference ;)

I hope all goes well.. try not to worry too much

My son broke his arm several years ago (I think 3 but not good on time!!!)
Both the bones in his lower arm werte broken. And he had to go into Theatre to have it reset under anasthetic.
It was set, and looked bent to me.
The test after over 6 weeks was he put his elbow flat on the desk and turned the lower part of the arm as far to the right as possible,
12 weeks after he broke his arm the twisting was not great and the consultant said, he could do eberything but may have trouble playing cricket of tennis. IF he had any problems I should ring and go back and it could be re borken and set again.
I asked him to do the elbow on desk yesterday and check, Well It is loads better,. he still cant get it round as much as me, but he is only cm off.
Also the consultant (that I did chech out and find he was one of the best) said that a broken bone is actually stronger than a natural bone as there is more bone LOL
3 years on James can do everything and hasnt had any problems with his arm, even though it is his right and writing arm :) :)
HTH
Lea :)

Thanks for all of your replies, and I do now feel reassured more than I did yesterday.

Not sure how do do quotes but I will try.

<quote>From your description in your post you do not mention if your sons arm itself is causing you concern, and it seems that it is improving with physio</qoute>

It concerns me in the sense that his arm is still bent, but after reading everyones replies it seems its the norm. However he sometimes complians of his arm aching in the spot where the breakage is.

<quote>It sounds to me that your son has had a standard fracture</quote>

Not sure what type it is but I did hear the words "queery break" Son said thats what them in x-ray described it.

<quote>as his bone remodels and his muscle bulks up again, it will look more normal</quote>

Thats what the Physio said, that'd take time. And it does look swollen around the breakage point but I guess thats the extra bone fuseing together, to strengthen it.

I just hope this doesnm't prevent him going into the army as he'll be devastated.

I am sure this will not prevent him going into the army. I bet most blokes in the forces have been active as youngsters, and most of them have broken something at sometime. just relax and try not to let your fears stress you out, and most of all dont let your son pick up on your fears as it will not help him.