Two Weeks Out

Garrett went to his orthopedic appointment today with a big cast and high hopes of leaving with a shorter cast and he was not disappointed.  Actually this appointment  put a smile on his face bigger than I've seen in weeks.

The latest X-ray showed that his transverse break continues to heal and that he could go to a Patellar Tendon Bearing  Cast.   We were not expecting this type of cast at all.  As you can see from the picture, the cast goes up and around the knee from behind.  He has forward and back movement, but no side to side.  The best and most unexpected news is that by next week, he should be able to walk without or with little assistance from crutches.

I guess with this transverse break, the pressure of walking/standing will stimulate bone growth.  So really as soon as he feels like he can comfortably start bearing weight, he's been cleared to do so.  This was completely unexpected.  This still does not change the timeline of the recovery as the tibia is one of the slowest healing bones in the body.  But it will make the recovery much easier.

This is Garrett's leg when the cast was removed.  There is a sizable difference  between the size of his legs, particularly his thighs from atrophy.

We go back again in two weeks for another X-Ray and recast.  He will likely stay in this type of cast for at least six more weeks until he can be moved to a walking boot.  Unfortunately with this type of cast, he was unable to get a waterproof cast, but I think the trade off is worth it.  The doctor thinks he could probably be driving again in about two months.  And after therapy he will likely be able to start back to soccer when the season resumes in July.