Parents Injuries

[Texasmomof3]

We just got dd's MRI results back from the progressive knee pain she has been having all season. She was diagnosed with OSD when she was younger, so she just assumed that was the pain until it got so bad she could barely walk.

It turns out she has stress fractures in both shins. She competed all season who two untreated fractured legs. There are multiple bone fractures that have filled with fluid in the top half of each shin.

The knees are both structurally fine. The pain in her shins was just radiating into her knees and so severe that her legs were buckling when she walked. I had no idea it was that bad or she never would have been allowed to keep training and competing. They have so much regular pain with this sport that she thought it was normal.

Yikes.

As an aside, she also broke her leg when she was two and we didn't know until two weeks later when she was limping and we took her to a doctor. So these make the third broken legs she has had that we didn't notice or treat. Gotta be a record there somewhere.

 

[tpMom]

Oh my goodness! It sounds like your daughter is ridiculously tough! What does this mean for her? How is she handling it? I hope that she heals quickly.

 

[duyetanh]

Omg...that is just awful! I am so sorry. What a tough kid you have....but geez....I can't believe she didn't know the pain wasn't normal! Ugh. Sometimes this sport drives me crazy!!! I hope she heals quickly and well.

 

[QueenBee]

Sending healing vibes!

 

[txgymfan]

That's horrible. She must have a huge pain tolerance. What is her next step? Is she in a wheelchair? How do you walk on two broken legs?

 

[Texasmomof3]

She is supposed to have complete leg rest for two months. They can't cast it, but she is to limit any walking and otherwise stay off both legs. For now she is out of gym, but at some point she wants to do conditioning and bars. Psychologically she needs gym time, but I am very worried about reinjury.

If it doesn't heal with rest, they can inject this stuff like bone glue into the area. That takes extra time to recover, is painful, and has greater risks. So hopefully she listens on the "rest" side of things.

 

[Texasmomof3]

This is the same kid who competed level 7 state two weekends ago and came in 7th. I still can't believe she vaulted and did a floor routine with two fractured shins. No wonder the ibuprofen wasn't making a difference.

 

[OzZee]

Tough kid!! Hopefully she gets the need to rest and heals quickly.

 

[NY Dad]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that. Hope rest (and some healing vibes) will do the trick.

 

[GymCMLA]

Did they explain stress fracture and stress reactions to you? Kind of how they happen and how they heal?

 

[Texasmomof3]

Hers started from shin splints this summer.

The orthopedist said it heals with rest. Is there anything else that speeds or ensures the healing process?

 

[LizzieLac]

Rest and ice may help with the pain. Sending the healing fairies to you house!

 

[Tuppy]

What a tough girl... Wishing her a full and quick recovery!

 

[NutterButter]

Wow! I hope she has an easy time minding doctors orders and staying off her feet. My DD competed a couple of meets with a broken foot that we didn't know about. Gymnasts are so tough!

 

[Kristie]

Dang that's crazy! Have you considered having a bone density test done? 3 fractures certainly is not the norm. I'd have it checked out, just to be on the safe side.
Hope she heals quickly. This is going to be tough on both kid and mom to keep her still for that long!!

 

[Really]

My goodness! I hope your DD gets well soon!

 

[GymCMLA]

So the osteoclasts "eat" the bone (it is their role in the constant remodeling) and the osteoblasts "build" the bones. They live in balance .... unless there is a quick uptick in training (so we see this a lot when Cross country season starts for example)...so stress reactions are when the clasts are pulling away from the blasts. Then a stress fracture is where the clasts beat out the blasts.
There is also a contribution from muscle fatigue such that the bone absorbs more of the stress/impact (again from training changes and potentially some with the pubertal growth when strength ratios are in flux).

If you gymmie is a female there is an increased incidence in stress fractures in the female athletic triad.

A calcium and vit D supplement may be a good idea not to heal faster but to make sure she has the minerals available for deposition.

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd had horrible shin splints that were "stress reactions" almost fractures. She was put in a boot for the worse leg. It really helped! Does your dd have a boot? I don't think you can walk very well in 2 boots, but she could maybe alternate legs to help take some pressure off. Sounds so painful, she must have a super high pain tolerance. Hopefully both legs heal fully.

 

[txgymfan]

I'm trying to think of possible exercises, which you have probably already thought of.

Full body: Could she swim?

Arms: Pull up , static hangs, at home

Abs: v ups on the floor,

Grip: grip strength putty

Theraband exercises for arms, maybe wrap therabands around her thighs and lay on her side to do leg lifts. Pinterest has tons of band exercises that are no impact for the entire body.

 

[LLmom]

Really should be able to do full bars into the pit right from the start. And I'd recommend crutches for walking to expediate the rest time.