Walking Wounded
December 9, 2005 9:34 AM Subscribe
MedicalFilter: Don't worry, this isn't about real life. I'm writing a novel in which a character receives a long knife gash (but not too deep) along the side of one calf. What I need to know is, how long would she need to keep weight off of it? The story assumes she'll spend some time on crutches, but I want to keep that time to a minimum before I move her to a cane. I'm flexible about which leg... if it's her right leg, would she be able to drive a car; if her left leg, would she be able to drive a standard transmission?
In an automatic car she can drive with her left foot if her right is too injured to. I've done that on long trips without cruise before.
posted by 6550 at 10:50 AM on December 9, 2005
posted by 6550 at 10:50 AM on December 9, 2005
I had an accident that resulted in a cut in my leg that went down to muscle, (but only just shallowly cut into muscle). It needed 3 layers of sutres. It was only a short cut (2-3"), and occurreed about 4" above the knee instead of below, but there was no point in time when I needed crutches, a walking stick was sufficient, and most of the time I just walked, but with a pronounced limp to keep weight off it (weight means muscle tension, which makes the cut hurt), but I couldn't walk very far before getting tired and sore.
In a few weeks, I was getting a really sore back from the weird gait I had to employ to minimise pain while walking, (and the gait was also partly responsible for how quickly I would tire - muscles elsewhere were being used in ways they wouldn't/shouldn't be and thus weren't delevoped sufficiently to endure).
posted by -harlequin- at 11:11 AM on December 9, 2005
In a few weeks, I was getting a really sore back from the weird gait I had to employ to minimise pain while walking, (and the gait was also partly responsible for how quickly I would tire - muscles elsewhere were being used in ways they wouldn't/shouldn't be and thus weren't delevoped sufficiently to endure).
posted by -harlequin- at 11:11 AM on December 9, 2005
"most of the time I just walked" meaning without a walking stick
posted by -harlequin- at 11:12 AM on December 9, 2005
posted by -harlequin- at 11:12 AM on December 9, 2005
The wound you seem to be describing likely would not have restrictions, with one exception - skin tension. If it were oriented perpendicular to the axis of the extremity, if she were obese, etc., then wound tension might require some degree of immobilization. However, any time you immobilize someone or a part thereof, esp. the leg, your risk of a clot goes way up. Any reasonable doctor would favor early mobilization and normal use.
posted by docpops at 12:57 PM on December 9, 2005
posted by docpops at 12:57 PM on December 9, 2005
Up towards the top of the calf, circling around the top part of the fibula, the common peroneal nerve courses just under the skin. Even a shallow gash can sever this nerve, which results in loss of sensation on the outside (lateral aspect) of the calf and foot, and also a permanent foot-drop (unable to bend the foot or toes upward). Without re-attachment of this nerve no recovery can be possible.
However, if this doesn't happen, there's not much on the side of the calf that a shallow gash would damage bad enough to keep you off your feet. Most of the calf is the belly of the gastrocnemius, covered and protected by the relatively thin soleus muscle.
posted by ikkyu2 at 5:09 PM on December 9, 2005
However, if this doesn't happen, there's not much on the side of the calf that a shallow gash would damage bad enough to keep you off your feet. Most of the calf is the belly of the gastrocnemius, covered and protected by the relatively thin soleus muscle.
posted by ikkyu2 at 5:09 PM on December 9, 2005
mucho props to docpops n ikkyu2! i just wanted to say that it's been super awesome lurking and reading yr comments.
also: i love askme! WOO!
anyway, on to the juice: there's this woman in town who was in the news recently for defending herself against rabid armadillos with a cane, which she'd used to support herself while she was healing from surgery for her right (or left?) achilles tendon.
it had been partially (completely?) wacked during a particularly long day of wing chun kung-fu training, and one of her kung-fu-friends was training with a kung-fu-falchion, and kung-fu-freakin sliced the back of her calf! it was a long gash, and all of a sudden she couldn't really support herself with that leg.
the surgery was simple, the tendon pieced together, and her leg was casted. for a couple of weeks (or several?) she had to get around with crutches, but then, with assistance and approval from her surgeon, she was able to get around with a cane.
and then came the armadillos, but i'm thinking you're not as innerested in them.
on preview, i just remembered summin about her trying to run the armadillos down with her MGBGT. i think, after she was able to support herself and ambulate with her cane, she was also able to exert enough force to press on the accelerator and brake pedals (she was a heel-toe driver). but this was emergent, and her surgeon prolly wouldn't have allowed her to drive because the boot was all clunky n stuff. also, i think the surgeon was a member of PETA.
ok, this is all made-up. there was no woman, there was no town. but man, i freakin hate armadillos.
in order to get the whole cast/crutch/cane bit, i think the character's injury would have to be deep enough to damage and probably warrant surgery of the tendons of her lower leg. achilles tendon is nicely identifiable by a lot of people. less common are injuries to the peroneal tendons on the lateral aspect of the lower leg. anyway, yeah. surgery. reattach the pieces, cast, crutches, cane, etc. i find it amusing that everyone's coming up with different ways of trying to reach the same end!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:22 AM on December 10, 2005
also: i love askme! WOO!
anyway, on to the juice: there's this woman in town who was in the news recently for defending herself against rabid armadillos with a cane, which she'd used to support herself while she was healing from surgery for her right (or left?) achilles tendon.
it had been partially (completely?) wacked during a particularly long day of wing chun kung-fu training, and one of her kung-fu-friends was training with a kung-fu-falchion, and kung-fu-freakin sliced the back of her calf! it was a long gash, and all of a sudden she couldn't really support herself with that leg.
the surgery was simple, the tendon pieced together, and her leg was casted. for a couple of weeks (or several?) she had to get around with crutches, but then, with assistance and approval from her surgeon, she was able to get around with a cane.
and then came the armadillos, but i'm thinking you're not as innerested in them.
on preview, i just remembered summin about her trying to run the armadillos down with her MGBGT. i think, after she was able to support herself and ambulate with her cane, she was also able to exert enough force to press on the accelerator and brake pedals (she was a heel-toe driver). but this was emergent, and her surgeon prolly wouldn't have allowed her to drive because the boot was all clunky n stuff. also, i think the surgeon was a member of PETA.
ok, this is all made-up. there was no woman, there was no town. but man, i freakin hate armadillos.
in order to get the whole cast/crutch/cane bit, i think the character's injury would have to be deep enough to damage and probably warrant surgery of the tendons of her lower leg. achilles tendon is nicely identifiable by a lot of people. less common are injuries to the peroneal tendons on the lateral aspect of the lower leg. anyway, yeah. surgery. reattach the pieces, cast, crutches, cane, etc. i find it amusing that everyone's coming up with different ways of trying to reach the same end!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:22 AM on December 10, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kindall at 10:48 AM on December 9, 2005