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Suggest Treatment For Broken Humerus Bone

Posted on Sat, 2 Apr 2016

Question: How long can you wait after a bone is fractured before the surgery? I fell on my shoulder on Saturday the 30th of January. At urgent care they took an x-ray of my shoulder and arm. I saw the x-ray and the humerus was broken below the socket with a couple of loose pieces. The humerus was displaced towards the back with a little lump on my shoulder. They put me in a simple cotton sling. At emergency they took more x-rays and put a stronger sling with velcro to immobilize it. I am worried because I have no date for surgery and am only able to get a consultation appointment with my health care Feb. 8th. Is this normal to wait so long?

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Can wait for 7 to 10 days

Detailed Answer:
Hi there.

Thanks for the query.

If there was no open wound close to the fracture site, no fracture in the shoulder of elbow joint then there is no need to worry about date of surgery as long as the fracture is immobilised.

You can safely wait for 7 to 10 days. Take Calcium supplementation and eat food rich in calcium and Vitamin D like egg, fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables, cheese, yogurt, chicken.

Keep the limb elevated. Move elbow and wrist with fingers regularly.

I hope I have answered your query.

I will be available to answer your follow up queries.

Regards,

Dr. Aashish Raghu

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee