Vitamins for Bone Growth

[Cameraine]

I broke my ankle in May, and just went for another check-up this past Wednesday. One of my breaks isn’t healing as well as expected and my surgeon put me in an air boot cast but I still can’t walk on it for another four weeks. I am also getting some sort of electro-magnetic therapy that is supposed to help my bones heal. I kind of feel like a 4* event horse at this point so why not throw on a supplement.

Has anyone with a broken bone injury ever taken vitamins to help with healing and bone growth? Did you see any significant results or differences?

[rmh_rider]

YES I have had TRAUMATIC BONE INJURY!

You need NO smoking at all or EVER stop right away. Loose weight so you are correct for your BMI. Take CA supps with vit D. Eat lots of meat - red meat. Eat lots and lots of very very green fresh leafy vegges. Drink milk, lots with each meal. Eat lots of fresh fruits too. Keep very well hydrated with water, and AVOID CAFFIENE if not take it completely out of your diet. I would not drink any more than one cup (8oz a day) or NO caffeine at all ever.

Some do not grow bone well. So heads up and follow the above.

I had a compound tibia, got a rod and 2 screws. Had screws removed, so I am screwless or lost a couple screws.

You may, down the line consider a bone stimulator.

You need to take it easy, and let the bones grow and nit and not over do things.

I took CA 2 times a day. Ate well, rested as I was suppose to. Very painful situation.

check out www.mybrokenleg.com

Lots of good info there. They helped me alot.

And ya, really, do not stress that ankle at all ever. If so you will upset the knitting of the bones. Yeah really.

I did all of the above. And I healed in text book time. I was not over weight. I laid quietly for a long time. I watched tons of court tv.

Heal well my friend.

[rmh_rider]

Oh forgot NO ALCOHOL EVER AT ALL under any circumstances. Sorry, forgot that. Sorry I know it is harsh. But you need to grow bone. It is important.

[jewll27]

uh I dont know how much it works for growth, but I’ve been taking some of my horse’s MSM on a daily basis since I broke my back. Just a tsp in water, I take it like a shot and then chase it b/c it doesnt taste so good. I figured if its helping his inflammation it can help mine too!

[Cameraine]

[QUOTE=rmh_rider;5682194]
YES I have had TRAUMATIC BONE INJURY!

You need NO smoking at all or EVER stop right away. Loose weight so you are correct for your BMI. Take CA supps with vit D. Eat lots of meat - red meat. Eat lots and lots of very very green fresh leafy vegges. Drink milk, lots with each meal. Eat lots of fresh fruits too. Keep very well hydrated with water, and AVOID CAFFIENE if not take it completely out of your diet. I would not drink any more than one cup (8oz a day) or NO caffeine at all ever.

Some do not grow bone well. So heads up and follow the above.

I had a compound tibia, got a rod and 2 screws. Had screws removed, so I am screwless or lost a couple screws.

You may, down the line consider a bone stimulator.

You need to take it easy, and let the bones grow and nit and not over do things.

I took CA 2 times a day. Ate well, rested as I was suppose to. Very painful situation.

check out www.mybrokenleg.com

Lots of good info there. They helped me alot.

And ya, really, do not stress that ankle at all ever. If so you will upset the knitting of the bones. Yeah really.

I did all of the above. And I healed in text book time. I was not over weight. I laid quietly for a long time. I watched tons of court tv.

Heal well my friend.[/QUOTE]

rmh_rider,

Most of what you suggested I already got covered. I have never smoked (too icky, and I don’t do cancer) and I don’t really drink either, plus it doesn’t go well with my meds. I weight about 112 lbs so at 5’3" I’m good on the BMI. It happened in mid-May and I have done nothing but lay on the couch, watch tv, read books and haunt the internet.

But the diet stuff I will definetly tweak to coincide with your advice. Thanks, and if you think of anything else let me know.

C.

[ponygirl]

One correction with the post concerning red meat. Red meat is considered a bone robber much like salt, sugar and caffeine so should be avoided when trying to mend.

[GallopHer]

Following surgical hip repair, my orthopedic surgeon recommended Osteo Bi-Flex, calcium/vitamin d and fish oil.

[rmh_rider]

So how ya doing Cameraine?

Some grow bone slow. All in your dna I would suspect.

If you are not to bare weight then do not.

The bone heals by sealing the outside edges, then it goes to work on the inside of the bone. Kinda like it makes a bandaid all the way around it. As you start to weight bare, you stress the new bone, so watch it.

Your muscles will have to adapt.

After 9 years, I can STILL feel at times when I walk or ride where my bone was exactly broken. To this day I can feel it time to time. No clue why. I can sit at the computer on my butt and it can twinge. Or walking. Or standing or sometimes riding. Like a needle for some reason right at the fracture site, it pulses I guess I would say, hurts. Also the site where my screws were will hurt from time to time, mostly the one at my ankle in my tibia.

I don’t think a pill will make it grow faster. Good food and rest and hydration will. Took 4.5 months for my leg bone to heal. It was only healed enough for me to start to walk again. Long road afterwards. Tibia is the most weight baring bone in the body. You would think the femur but I was told the tibia is.

How about an update.

[Graymaresrule]

No suggestions but I was 11 weeks NWB with mine

[Cameraine]

Update on My Injury

[QUOTE=rmh_rider;5708596]

How about an update.[/QUOTE]

Well I had my latest doctor’s appointment just this past Monday. It had been a month since my previous one. The appointment went about 50/50. I got some of what I wanted, but the doc told me some things I wish weren’t true.

I was cleared to bear weight as tolerated and work up to full weight bearing over two weeks. Which means in a couple of weeks I can start driving my car again. I’m thankful for that because having to be escorted everywhere was getting old.

That was the good news. The bad news is that even though I’m cleared to start walking on it(the air cast is easier and less scary to walk in than without it though I’m doing some of both) my Fibula fracture isn’t healing as well as my doctor(who was also my surgeon) would like.

He says there are some people who don’t heal fractures as well as others and or I may also have a calcium deficency. So I got a blood test for that, and he sent me home with calcium pills. My doc also said if there isn’t a signifigant improvement when he sees me in five weeks then I may be looking down the barrel of another surgery.

Anyway that is what is going on with me. I’m moving a bit better but I’m so afraid of the pain that I’m scared to put too much pressure on my leg when I’m doing some of the walking without the air cast(Which I only do at home after getting home from work). I also don’t want to do any further damage to the still healing pieces of me and force myself back in to even more time on the injured list. My mare is so fat that if I sight down her bodyline from behind I can see her sides sticking out past her butt. I want to ride so bad I can smell the leather and the horse sweat, but I also know my husband and my doc would kill me.

Alas I am hobbling along slowly. Words of wisdom?

[philosoraptor]

Adding calcium to the diet doesn’t build bones by itself. You need weight bearing exercises to tell the bones to absorb the calcium floating around in the bloodstream. IMHO he should not be recommending calcium pills before checking your serum electrolyte levels. And it may just be that your body doesn’t heal bone fractures as quickly.

Your physical therapy should be helping to safely stimulate the bones. Be as active as your doctor allows. If fear of pain is holding you back, it’s also slowing your recovery; address this with the doctor. There is nothing wrong with taking a good Rx pain med while you’re healing.