Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bone

Rear ended by a drunk driver then effed in the rear by the medical system.

pmaxwell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

Bone graft gone wrong. Testicle swollen, major pain, difficulty walking, Doctors not helping. Need advice. I am trying to get some information for a friend. Below is as much info as I have. Any help would be appreciated.
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Jan 2003
My friend Kin was stopped at a light in Philadelphia, PA when he was hit from behind. The drunk who hit him had 9 prior DUI’s. Not surprisingly, he carried no insurance, had no registration or license. He was driving with stolen plates.

Kin was treated by a Dr. K at a hospital and diagnosed with a sever neck issue (don’t know exact diagnosis). He was told surgery would not help his condition. He was in severe pain. The Dr recommend a Morphine pump to help manage the pain. Kin begged the dr to “go back in” and fix the issue. The Dr refused.

2004: Eventually, Dr. K referred Kin to Dr. F for a Discgram. Dr. F decided surgery would be beneficial and recommended replacing two vertebrates (C5, C6) with titanium.

While awaiting surgery, Kin worked with pain management specialists. They prescribed Oxycontin (20mg then increased to 60mg). Here is where Kin began his addiction to Oxicontin.

Aug 2005: Dr. B from a Philly hospital performed surgery. Disc was replaced with piece of titanium that was to fuse. After the procedure, Kin’s condition worsened. For the next 18 months Kin repeatedly told the Dr B he was not right – could feel pieces of titanium move. Pain increased significantly. Kin was now taking 6 or so Percocets daily to manage after weaning himself off Oxycontin.

September 2007: Kin was referred to Dr. G (orthepedic surgeon at HHS in New York). Dr. G immediately recommended surgery. He suggested removing the titanium vertebrates and replacing with bone (with from a bone graft from Kin’s hip) . Kin agreed.

After the procedure, The Dr. G said the screws securing the titanium vertebrates (from the original surgery) we so loose, he was able to take them out by hand. Thats what was causing Kins pain – loose screws! Dr. said his neck should heal well and he should experience a vast reduction in pain.

Over the coming months, Kins neck felt 90% better. Occasional flare ups but nothing compared to what it was. Kin was ecstatic, he was fixed. – so he thought.

Prior to the neck surgery, they removed a piece of bone from his hip to use as the material to replace titanium vertebrates. Kins hip was not healing. He was back in severe pain. The Dr said it would take time to heal. Kin waited. He was now back up to 6-8 Percocets daily.

By Feb 2008 pain was so severe, Kin had trouble walking and was taking copious amounts of Percocet to function. His testicles swelled. He reported everything to Dr. G. Numerous tests were done: MRIs, bone scans, cat scans, and xrays. No Diagnosis or prognosis was given.

Kin moved to CA – he needed better weather. Every cloudy day in Philly amped up the pain in his hip (his neck was now a non-issue).
Even though he alerted his insurance company he was going to move, they waited until he was moved in to tell him they would not cover him in CA. Disability insurance dropped him as well b/c they secretly video taped him directing the moving truck into his driveway.

Kin repeatedly contacted Dr. G to tell him about the incredible pain in his hip. He was getting very limited attention. He was falling thru the cracks. They finally referred him to a Dr in CA (a 5 hour drive – and he needed to go back twice). The Dr saw Kin, took various MRI’s CAT’s and other tests and then NEVER SPOKE TO Kin AGAIN!. The Drs Assistant simply told Kin they could not help him.

June 2009: Eventually, HHS agreed to see Kin again, Kin flew to NY for 8 days of pre-arranged tests and procedures. Once there, they totally changed the itinerary they had agreed to. They sent Kin for a RFD(S) treatment. A Dr W did this non-surgical procedure. After, Kins pain amped up 20 fold. Again, they said to give it time. That was over a 4 months ago. The pain has not subsided. He is up to 12-15 Percocets a day. He has gone to the local emergency room in CA for help. They were astonished at the films of his hip– a large arrowhead shaped growth with spurs on the bone. It seems like the bone and nerve grew back in such a way as to cause the pain. They said they had no one at their hospital who can help him.

These days he has limited contact with HSS, they rarely return his calls/emails. In the last call, they advised him to go off Perocet and to try Subutex, which he is trying. And they also advise him to get a dorsal column stimulator (installed in his body) to help mitigate the pain, he will not. There is no longer any discussion on how to heal Kin, only how to manage the pain. When Kin asked if there was a way to kill the nerve, they said that’s what they tried with the RFD(S) procedure and it did not work.

Kin has ballooned up to about 250 pounds. His blood pressure is way high. Although I have been very concerned and distantly involved over the 4 years this has been going on, I am now more concerned than ever, As the hope of getting fixed gets more and more remote, Kin is spiraling into a very dark place.

So I am looking for any recommendations, referrals, advice on what Kin can do.
> Has anyone experienced this kind of bone/nerve issue?
> are the any Dr’s or programs that are specialists in this field (west coast)?
> Does anybody know of a service that can function as a health advocate?
> What about this dorsal column stimulator? What are the real percentage of people who have significant pain reduction?
> malpractice suit? know any lawyers in NY?

Slim, but fat at the same time?

neworder7 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:03:52 -0800

Slim, but fat at the same time? I have a slim appearance, but I realize I am lacking the body mass that it matters the most, bone and muscle. I have very thin arms and somewhat weak upper-body. I am 35, male, 5'10" , 152lbs. As an adult, I know it is not possible to gain bone mass. How can I improve my physique so I can maintain decent fitness level when I get older? Here is a bit of history:

When I was in my teens I was very slim/weak and in my early 20s due to unhealthy diet in college, I put on some weight up to 180lbs and it was mostly fat (although not too fat, looked kind of flabby) .

In my late 20s I learned about nutrition (yes that late...) managed to get myself into reasonable shape. I have been eating well and exercised in moderation since then (I can bench press 120lbs).

But I see some people similar to my frame, but they weight at least 20lbs more and look more solid, stronger upperbody and healthier.

As a late starter of exercise and eating well, I feel my body has not picked up to a decent level yet. Maybe it is because I have thin arms and cannot build enough muscle on that. Could this be possible?

How can I develop more solid physique, stronger upper body? I am not in rush but I really want to build enough foundation so I maintain a decent fitness level as I get older.

I just don't want to be slim but fat any more.

Bone with a juicy center?

tasty — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:20:12 -0800

I purchased some expensive beef bones by accident $3/lb, and was planning to make stock with them. However, after a quick roast, I saw the inner circle became something soft and edible, while the outer circle remained bone. What did I get, and should I still make stock with these?

Call the Waaaahmbulance

monkey!knife!fight! — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:59:16 -0800

I had a broken bone, it was put back in place with some pins and a plate and now I'm not sure what to do... Last spring I had a proximal humerus fracture that required surgery. I was in a ton of pain after, but am now totally healed. I have a full range of motion, a scar that's not too bad, and a decision to make.

I'd thought he'd said when I'd last seen him that IF I had problems after a year then he'd take the plate and pins out. Since I felt fine, I figured I was all good, but when I saw him last month for what I thought was just a checkin to make sure that I'd healed properly he said that since it was all healed we should now take the metal bits out. He said it wasn't something that I had to do quickly, but that I should do it soon since 12 to 18 months after they are put in is the best time to remove them.

Here's my question - has anyone had this surgery? How does the recovery compare to the initial surgery? Has anyone left their bionic parts in? The doctor said as I get older I could lose bone mass and that would cause me problems then, or if I were to get hurt in that area again it could be "bad". On the other hand, the idea of having another surgery kind of freaks me out because I'm a total wuss and the thought of recovering from this again isn't something I'm looking forward to.

The doctor really wasn't firm about it one way or the other and it's up to me when and if I want to do it. Now I just have to figure out what to do.....

Cancer sucks!

litterateur — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:42:53 -0800

It looks like my leukemia may have returned (AML) and my doctor said earlier that if this happened, I'm looking at a bone marrow transplant. Any experience? 24, female, otherwise healthy (you know, besides the cancer). For any of you praying folk, do you mind obliging? Thanks.

Should I go to podiatrist?

Sloop John B — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:43:44 -0800

My feet are in pain. What kind of doctor should I go to? I've heard that podiatry is sort of a dubious branch of medicine. So my feet are in bad shape. I've been walking in big, sturdy boots (Timberlands) for nearly a year without proper arch support. The arches of my feet have been hurting for a while, especially my left. The left foot has been getting worse lately, and is starting to feel a bit numb behind the knuckle of the big toe (not the joint on the toe, but where the toe meets the foot). Also, my left knee has problems and has been acting up lately.

I bought a nice arch support yesterday, so hopefully that'll help. But I really feel like I should go to a doctor and get this checked out. I know that "numb toes" is an indication of diabetes, but for various reasons I think this is probably more of a skeletal/muscular issue.

I've heard that podiatry is like chiropractry, where some people will swear by it but others feel it's kind of dubious. What kind of doctor should I go to?

It's big and it's standing at attention

saysthis — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:11:31 -0800

Broken tibia & fibula, 3.5 months ago, clean snap. I got an intramedullary rod in the tibia, screws at the ankle and knee, and absolutely no recommendations for PT other than some exercises to do at home from the doctor. Everything else seems to have healed well enough, but - my big toe ain't movin', and it's stuck in permanent "up". Specifically, my big toe won't recline past a certain elevation, and I just can't move it up past a 90 degrees from my ankle. And when I move my foot downward, the toe sticks up. I can't push it down. Even when I'm resting, it's just sticking up, saluting the sky. I do have some movement in the toe, just...not much, so it's not like the muscle is dead or gone. The best way I can describe it is that it feels "shortened". Everything else seems to be healing well enough, but this is frustrating.

I've heard from some more athletically inclined friends that this is a common sports problem, but that it goes away after a day or two. I'm just wondering if any of you out there have had this experience, and how you deal with it. What stretches do you use? What is this a larger symptom of? Specifically what muscles are involved, and what are they doing? How did I end up with such localized atrophying? Did the surgeon slice something he shouldn't have?

Physical therapy, believe you me, I'm going to ask for as soon as I go for my next checkup in two weeks. In the meantime I'm doing the recommended stretches and exercises. But any more suggestions on how to tame my toe are appreciated.

Get thee to some Vitamin D!

suzeQ — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:40:49 -0800

What is the best way to get Vitamin D (other than sunshine!) to support optimum calcium absorption? I suffer from a loss of bone density and take Fosamax weekly. In addition, I have increased the amount of calcium in my diet.

My doctor recommends that I take 400-800 mg of Vitamin D each day to increase the rate of calcium absorption. He told me an over the counter variety of Vitamin D in pill form would be fine to take.

As I react negatively to calcium tablets and am gaining my calcium through food, I need a plain old Vitamin D tablet to work with my food/calcium - not a calcium with Vitamin D tablet. Or is there another way to get some Vitamin D? Any recommendations?

Bone anti stick Powder

Raybun — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:29:29 -0800

I ate tortillas in Mexico that were cooked on an old harrow blade over a wood fire. The harrow blade was dusted with a form of charred bone powder that prevented the tortillas from sticking. They were delicious. Is this anti stick bone powder available anywhere in the US?

How to heal dem bones, dem bones, dem broken bones?

hrbrmstr — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:53:03 -0800

I managed to break my right ring finger in a cycling accident (completely clean break between knuckles) and now have pins in for ~3wks. I'm interested in finding out what foods, supplements, etc I should be looking at to help speed up the healing/mending process – *or* – even ones I should be avoiding.

What healing process and timeline can I expect following crush injury to fingers?

LeeNicholson — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:49:17 -0800

What healing process and timeline can I expect following crush injury to fingers? 50 year old man, good health. About 6 weeks ago the fingertips of my index and middle finger (left hand) were crushed in an accident. Broken distal phalanges and some surgery to repair one nail bed. Stitches to repair fingertip lacerations. Still in splints today, I was disappointed at the 4 week checkup to see, via some real-time x-ray, that the fingertip bones were not fused together yet. Hoping at next appointment, at 8 week mark, to see improvement.

While I am extremely grateful to not have lost my fingertips, I am very anxious about this since I am a performing musician and wonder if/when I will regain my ability to play.

Any insights on healing process from similar experienced would be most appreciated.

Active life with a bone bruise?

Countess Elena — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:43:55 -0800

Does anyone have experience with a bone bruise? I have one, apparently, just when I wanted to get serious about exercising again. Ten days ago, I tripped and fell smack on my knees on hard concrete. The screaming, the limping, the recriminations. Although the right knee got better, I went to get an X-ray for the left, since I was afraid I'd fractured the patella. Thankfully there was no breakage. I was told that it was probably a bone bruise or [some kind of] hematoma, and that it would take a good while to heal in either case.

This was an out-of-town injury; treatment was brief. Advice to "ease up" on it and to ice it is not encouraging, especially when some sources say it may take months to heal. Walking doesn't pain me, although descending stairs does (and gives me a weird feeling of motion in my knee, which I hate).

I've got the grim feeling I need to go back to my regular doctor, bite the bullet and ask for an expensive opinion. But what do you think he'll say? If you were me, a young relatively healthy woman who needed to shed a couple but was game, what would you feel free to do? I was just about to start exercising daily again, really for serious true this time right after the holidays, and I was honestly looking forward to it. Long brisk walks and/or elliptical cardio is what I want to start with, plus squats to build leg strength.

Can time heal a fractured bone?

actionpact — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:45:16 -0800

What would happen if you fractured a bone and never got it treated? Purely theoretical question ahead, but I can't figure this answer out:

I've been having some weird dreams lately, and one of them was really long. I dreamt I was in high school and fell up a flight of stairs-- causing some pain to my tibias. (Like, I landed on the edge of the stairs--my high school's was metal edged marble steps.) In my dream I was pretty convinced that I had if not broken them totally, done some kind of fracture damage to them. But I kept on dreaming and got to the present date (~10 years later) without ever getting them treated. I remember being able to feel my bones and feel a slight indent, and I'd occasionally feel slight pain if I hit those bones or jumped a lot, but did nothing about it.

Anyway, long story short the end of the dream? I started walking a long distance and eventually both my legs broke. Picture like someone chopping a tree-- timberrrr! It was pretty gruesome and I woke up disturbed about the whole thing. I can still recall the snapping sound. Ick!

So what I was wondering is-- say something like this happened-- like a person got some kind of fracture that was not serious enough to debilitate them (I figure it must happen, people often break toes without realizing it)-- would time heal that wound? I've never broken a bone (to my knowledge anyway) so my knowledge is pretty limited in that way, but I know big fractures need to be set in order to heal-- but if it was something that didn't snap the bone all the way through, maybe it would heal on its own? Or would such a thing heal better if you did better things, like take calcium supplements/drink a lot of milk? And if calcium intake improves it, say you ignored it for several years, could you then take a lot of calcium and heal them okay after the fact? And lastly, could you wear down your bones enough to snap them in a low impact situation? I'm thinking that's more my own dreams acting as fantasy more than anything else.

Does anyone know what Arthur Russell is singing at the beginning of "Tone Bone Kone?"

Bengston — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 09:50:23 -0800

Does anyone know what Arthur Russell is singing at the beginning of "Tone Bone Kone?" I love the sound of that opening and feel a strong attachment to it but I have no idea what he is saying. So here is what I can hear when I listen to it (the parts in italics are the parts I don't understand... obviously):

"I'm so happy that I met you and blah blah blah blah you seeing you giving me blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah tone....

Is this a Food and Drink,, Media and Arts, or Pets and Animals Question?

andoatnp — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 02:56:25 -0800

I got a lamb skull from the supermarket (complete with meat) and I'm looking for the best way to remove all the non-bone parts and then preserve the bone for an art project. I was recently given a lamb's head as a gift and am playnnng on using the skull for an art project. First I have to get all the meat/tissue off of it (which I assume can be done via boiling, but someone please correct me if that's not the best way to get it ready if I need to preserve the skull).

Once I have the bone left, I want to break it up, and then use the fragments for an art project. Once I smash it, what is the best way to preserve the bone? Some type of spray or treatment? I would prefer to have it look as natural as possible, however I end up treating it, but having it not smell or decompose in any way is the highest priority.

Why are the Bone Thugs on fire?

Espy Gillespie — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:25:55 -0800

What do the flames that appear on the heads of the Bone Thugs in the "1st of tha Month" video signify? Here is a still of the effect. In the video, it appears first on Bizzy around the 1:45 mark, and then eventually spreads to both Wish and Layzie (but not Krayzie) around 2:30.

In the comments to this YouTube post, wrestlecat61 argues that the flames are "supposed to be the holy spirit." That's certainly plausible, but I'm curious to hear other interpretations or especially concrete ideas of what the flames might mean/represent.

I want my bones back!

stormygrey — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:46:06 -0800

Something bad has happened with my bones, now what? I have been on Depo Provera a couple months shy of a decade. I have been a little Depo missionary, I thought it was amazing. I loved not having a period for a decade, it was freeing and I had no noticible side effects.

Warnings started to come out, but my doctors said that as long as I ate enough calcium I would be fine, for good measure throw in some exercise. I eat more dairy than anyone I know, I love it. I am pretty active too.

The more I read the scarier it sounded so I asked my doctor for a DEXA scan. Everyone acted like I was crazy. I was 27! Why would I want a bone density scan?!

My doctor fudged some things to get the test covered by insurance and there is was" Lumbar Spine t. score -1.4 Fracture Risk: 3x 0s" Osteopenia is clinical bone loss it is defined a -1 to -2.5 with Osteoporosis being -2.5 or less. So I am well into clinical bone loss. I am sad and irritated and mad and scared.

The question is what do I do now? I think the protocol on this needs to be changed so young women will monitor themselves better and they will know what their real risk is. I have seen some lit. around that weight bearing exercise doesn't affect the density of the lumbar spine.

What exercises, what diet, what class action, what new shows, how do I right this for me and for other women on this drug?

Will taking Adderall be a "permanent deferral" from donating bone marrow?

slc228 — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:23:34 -0800

Will taking Adderall be a "permanent deferral" from donating bone marrow? I am wanting to be put on the bone marrow donor list, but I am wondering if Adderall will prevent me from doing so. I found this link (for California):
http://www.cencalblood.org/plasmabone.html

Does anyone know if this is true for Virginia? If so, why?

It's a needle in a Haystack, but will the needle hurt?

matty — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:31:12 -0800

Over 3 years ago I registered with the National Bone Marrow Donor Program as part of a charity event. It was really simple - all they did was take a little blood... Today I get a phone call that apparently, I'm a match. Is there anyone here that has some PERSONAL experience with everything involved? I've found some websites and searched the AskMe. This community has the tendency to be blatantly honest, so I'm looking for anyone that can give me an idea of what's really going to happen - not necessarily what I'm going to read from a 'testimonial' on a website.

I've already decided to go through with it, but I just want to know on a more personal level what I'm in store for. Bonus points given to anyone that can provide links to info that I may have missed in my initial Google-ing.

Snake?

Turtles all the way down — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:44:05 -0800

Can you identify this little skull my daughter and I found by the side of the road? Dorsal/Ventral/Lateral view.

It's missing the mandible. It's about 10 cm / 4 inches long. I'm thinking snake but if so it would be no species found naturally here (Vancouver)--more like someone's huge pet python. Comparative anatomists please help!

Help me pump my mom up!

bananafish — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:51:37 -0800

Question about weightlifting and osteoporosis . . My mom has a fair amount of bone loss. She's following the advice of her doctors re supplements, diet, medication. Everything I I've read indicates that weight lifting can build bone. I'd like specific recommendations about a weight set that would be good for a 65 year old lady whose never done any exercise beyond walking. (For various reasons, she can't get to a gym). Bonus points if the weight set is $100 or less. Double bonus points if it can be bought on line and shipped. Also, ideas about get her over her initial reluctance about weightlifting would be welcome. I live far away, so I can't help her in person. Thanks in advance.

The Radial Fracture Survival Guide: Ow, Oi, Ouch!

ElectricBlue — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:02:54 -0800

Any advice and anecdotes for a college girl with her first broken arm? I got into a car accident yesterday. It really sucked. Luckily, I managed to survive with only a seatbelt-shaped bruise running down my chest--and a broken arm. Ouch! I'm on Vicadin right now, but my wrist feels like its being pulled in two; my fingers are tingling like mad.

I've never had a broken bone before. This is completely new to me. Does anyone have anyone have any advice? Any fractured bone tips and tricks? Does anyone have any ideas on how to soothe the savage beast that is my (flush-to-the-wrist) radial fracture?

Ideas on bathing (I used a garbage bag and blue painter's tape to cover my cast), bras (the bruise pains me!), pain relief, and surviving college dorm life would be appreciated. If you know of any freeware voice-to-text programs that actually work, I'd love to know about them. I have six papers due in the next two weeks, and my typing speed has slowed dramatically.

Lastly: what should I expect in the next few weeks? When will this annoying pain dull?

Thanks, guys. It was hard to type this question one-handed. :)

What is this bone?

Rock Steady — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:13:10 -0800

This bone was found on a Cape Cod, Massachusetts beach this week. It is about 3" tall and about 3" from tip to tip of the "horns." It looks like a vertebra of some type, but I can find no images of similar ones online. Any marine biologists out there care to tell me what kind of a bone it is? Other images inside.

Dinosaur Bone Cartoon

booksprite — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 07:39:35 -0800

Can you help me find a cartoon drawing I first saw in a book or magazine at least 10 years ago, which shows a small dog digging up a bone? Attached to the bone, buried under the ground, is shown the rest of the tail and the entire skeleton of a large dinosaur.

Ahh! I have blood!

limeonaire — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 19:05:54 -0800

BloodFilter: How do new blood cells make their way out of bones? Help this anatomy-challenged Mefite understand! This may seem like a silly question. But I've Googled like crazy, and I've still been unable to find anything that will explain in minute detail how exactly the blood cells created in humans' bone marrow make their way out of the bones.

I've found the Wikipedia stub about hematopoiesis, but that only explains how blood cells are formed, not the path they take to get out of the bones.

So how does it work? Do blood cells make their way out of "pores" or "channels" in the spongy part of the bone? That was the best guess my friends and I could come up with—but we don't know if it's correct. And even if it is correct, it still doesn't explain how the cells get into the bloodstream. Are there veins that directly abut the bone? If so, how do the blood cells move into the veins—do they somehow go through the blood vessel wall?

I never took an anatomy class, and the only biology I had was eight years ago—I took physics courses in college. Please forgive my ignorance!