To quote the famous Shelly poem: “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”
A few weeks back I got the opportunity to fix my first ankle. Now seing as I can’t lay my hands on the pre-op xrays (they must have been private films, and went home with the patient), you’re just going to have to take my word for it that on the side of the ankle joint where you can see the screws going in, there was a fracture, and the pointy tip of the tibia (the big bone) was floating free. Now this is important because that tip stops the tibia shifting side to side on the top of the foot, so if it’s broken the ankle can become unstable.
So seing as I was being keen and hanging around late to help with the operation, my reg actually let me do it (under closely watchful eyes and with numerous pointers of course). Getting down to the fracture was easy. Getting the fractured tip shifted back into the right spot was easy. Holding it there with a clamp was easy. Getting the first (upper) screw in was easy. Getting the second screw in (which stops the fragment rotating around the axis of the first screw) was a monumental pain in the arse, and I eventually had to get the reg to put it in for me. Still it was loads of fun. Whheeeee. I wanna go again!!!
So behold my glorious handiwork (and make plans not to break any bones in any proximity to me, lest I try my skills out on you 🙂
