Negligent orthopaedic treatment following fractures
At the age of 7, Holly fell at the playground at school. Her right leg was very painful and she was taken to a local hospital.
Her lower leg was x-rayed and she was told she had fractured both her tibia and fibula. Her leg was put in plaster of Paris and the cast was removed in full after 13 weeks. She was referred for physiotherapy, however this did not improve things and she continued to have severe pain in both the lower leg and towards the hip.
She was referred for several repeat x-rays at the same hospital over the next 18 months. By this time she had difficulty walking. Despite this the orthopaedic staff told her that the leg was fine, she was just taking time to heal.
Holly’s family were not satisfied with this response and felt that the hospital were ignoring their concerns, so they took her to the A&E department of a specialist children’s hospital where she underwent imaging including x-rays and an MRI scan.
Holly was swiftly diagnosed with a fracture to the neck of the femur and fibrous dysplasia (a disease which causes bone thinning, leading to bone weakness and scar formation within the bones themselves). The delay in diagnosing this had resulted in her right leg becoming shorter than her left leg whilst she continued to grow.
She had to undergo surgery to insert a nail into the femur and required a further corrective procedure 4 years later. Earlier diagnosis and treatment of her condition would have resulted in her requiring only one procedure, and her right leg would not have been shorter than her left.
With the help of medical negligence solicitor Emma Rush, Holly was awarded a five figure sum in settlement of a claim against the hospital in question.