On Friday, we were called by the kids' school nurse to say that Ben had fallen while playing kickball and was in a lot of pain. Scott took him to the pediatrician who confirmed that Ben broke the supracondylar portion of his humerus.
Their pediatrician called an orthopedist to set a casting appointment. After looking over Ben's x-rays, the orthopedist determined that Ben needed to go to the hospital for observation. His break was clean but displaced, and the location was a crucial point for many nerves and arteries that lead to the lower arm. Tissue damage (with the possibility of denervation atrophy, paralysis, or necrosis) became a huge concern.
After hours of observation, the orthopedic surgeon explained that Ben had about a 50% chance of needing surgery. He recommended that we wait until his swelling decreased a bit before deciding. In the meantime, Ben had to strictly limit his activity-- any more displacement would guarantee emergency surgery. We were given instructions on testing Ben's nerve and muscle health while we waited.
Tuesday was the big day. The x-ray results showed that his displacement had completely resolved and that he wouldn't need surgery! Woohoo!
Instead, he'll be rocking this sweet cast for the next 3 weeks.
