The diagnosis...

The Diagnosis

 

"Displaced, Comminuted, Intra-articular Fracture of the Distal Phalange of the Right Hallux with >2mm Displacement"

 

 

In plain English, Please!

 

1.  Displaced- the Interphalangeal Joint (IPJ) of the big toe is dislocated laterally (to the right).

2.  Comminuted- more than two pieces of bone are fractures and not attached to where they should be attached to.

3.  Intra-Articular- the fracture occurs in a joint.  This is BAD.  This means that I have a jump-start on arthritis (more about this in a later post!)

4.  >2mm Displacement.  That means the dislocation is not only laterally 'out of joint', but it is horizontally depressed across the joint.

 

 

The X-Ray.

 

I am fortunate to work with some great people at the Army Medical Command's Center and School at Fort Sam Houston.  I work with Nurses, PAs, PTs, Combat Medics, Physicians, and many other highly skilled providers.    This is how a few of those friends explained my X-Ray to me. 

 

1.  This is the Distal Phalanx,  It should be pointing straight ahead, but it is not.  It is displace laterally towards the second toe.

 

2.  This is the fracture line where the distal phalanx is in two pieces.  The Proximal piece is still attached, as it should be, to the joint.  Unfortunately, the distal piece of the Phalanx decided to do its own thing and broke off and became displaced.

 

3.  This is piece one of the Distal Phalanx that has a hairline fracture.  This is the fracture point that involves the joint, as it is separated from both pieces of the Phalanx.

 

4.  Another piece of the Phalanx that is fractured and not attached to any part of the phalanx.  Never good to have a piece of bone just floating around.

 

5.  A smaller piece of the Phalanges that is fractured.

 

As one could imagine, this hurts.  Because of this X-Ray, my Doc asked me again, "How long have you been walking on your foot like this?"  He answered for me,  "Too Long, right?"

 

My next stop was with the Orthopedic Specialists at Brooke Army Medical Center. 

 

Should I say this again, I have never been a 'patient' before.  I have always been on the other side of the Healthcare System!

 

Now I go into uncharted waters...

 

 

 

5.