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New Numbness--old injury

 
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CoachJoe
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Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 239
Location: Woodlands, TX

PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:12 am GMT +0000    Post subject: New Numbness--old injury Reply with quote

Doc,

I have had an LUE ORIF with wire completed in my left shoulder in 2001 due to a hard crash in a road race. Shattered my clavicle at the glenohumeral joint and fractured my shoulder blade and 4 ribs on the left side. Ortho doc was mainly concerned with bone healing and not so much with tissue damage at that time (even though I was persistant in asking for PT consult). Unfortunately I have had a numb area over the shoulder since then and sharp pains over the wire hardware (surface level). History aside, the problem now is that the numbness is travelling down into my left arm and hand following the ulnar nerve tract with increasing frequency when I ride (especially off-road).

I am an occupational therapist and know the anatomy very well, but was looking for an opinion--at what point do I go back to the Ortho and report the new numbness issues (is the ortho the right doc to go to?)? . . . and would removing the hardware be of any benefit this far out from the injury date? . . . or, is there something different in my bike fit, techniques etc that would help alleviate the problem?

I love mountain biking, but I also enjoy feeling my left arm when I am done!

Respectfully,

CJ
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 1398
Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:06 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

CJ:

Do get back with your orthopedic doctor. It is possible some scar tissue is developing around the hardware that could be impinging the nerves. It is also posible that you may be developing some vertebral osteoarthritis from the old injury and there are bony changes that are developing that could be impinging the ulnar nerve where it exits the vertebral.

Thanks,
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CoachJoe
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Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 239
Location: Woodlands, TX

PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:58 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Oh Reply with quote

That was certainly one of the possibilities . . . and it sucks! I will get back with him to get it checked out. I hope it is not in the realm of vertebral osteoarthritic stuff which can be really tricky in the upper levels. Scar tissue I can deal with much easier, although possible surgery is needed for that.

Thank you again for your knowledge and opinion.

CJ
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