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Steve Gershman, DPM
207-786-4430
280 Minot Ave.
Auburn, ME 04210 United States
Case Study of Wei FASTT Patches on Ankle Fractures
This is the tale of 2 women who inadvertently broke their left ankle at the same time, providing me with an opportunity to test whether herbal patches can speed up healing and return to function. As these are two women with similar ages and medical history and fracture type, it provided a perfect laboratory for a clinical trial of the patches against a control.
To sum up the results, the woman who had the patches added to the standard immobilization treatment was the lucky one. She healed and returned to her normal activities 2 weeks or 33% earlier. In sports terms it was a 4 to 6 win.
Patient 1 is 69 year old female in good health that fractured left fibula when she twisted her ankle and inverted her foot/ankle suddenly at home. The fracture was a stable non-displaced oblique type with good alignment. She was treated with simple 6 weeks of a walking cast. She was checked every two weeks and x-rayed at the visits. She was having pain walking without the cast until near 6 weeks and the x-rays showed slow healing consistent with clinical healing at 6 weeks. This is standard for this type fracture. She is now discharged from treatment and doing well.
The orthopedic text book, Surgery of the Foot by Roger Mann, MD. (fifth edition), states, undisclosed stable fractures of the lateral alveolus can begin immediate weight bearing in a short leg walking cast , which should be left in place for 6 weeks. This has also been my experience with these fractures. They can require up to 8 weeks or longer in some cases.
Patient 2 sustained a vertical compression fracture of her distal left alveolus at the same time period. She fell down stairs at home jamming the foot into ground with a high impact causing a comminuted fracture that was more complicated then patient 1. It was however stable and non-displaced. She is a 58 year old post menopausal female in fairly good health also.
She was treated with a similar program of walking cast immobilization; recheck visits and x-rays at every 2 weeks. IN ADDITION SHE WAS GIVEN HERBAL PATCHES TO PLACE OVER THE FRCTURE SITE STARTING AT DAY 1. She used a total of 9 patches over 4 weeks. She followed the protocol of 2 days on, 1 day off with each patch. At 2 weeks the x-ray showed bone callus formation way ahead of the expected and ahead of patient 1. At 4 weeks the x-ray showed a clinically healed fracture and complete resolution of pain to palpation of the fracture site and no pain walking barefoot and in shoes. She was discharged with no further care other than instructions on strengthening the muscles and slowly returning to normal activities.
In comparison of the 2 patients, the only difference in treatment was the herbal patches. The patch treated patient healed clinically and on x-ray, 2 full weeks earlier. This is 33% faster. This was despite a more complicated fracture and more intense initial trauma. This is profound.
In the future, I will be testing other patients and will be re-checking weekly to evaluate if the healing may be sooner than 4 weeks with the herbal patches. Perhaps 3 weeks? I will also add another herbal product, an oral liquid formula which increases micro-circulation.
Returning fracture patients in less time to their normal activities has a major effect on their lives and economically to them and society. This study indicates there is a method to do this and should be considered for further study and testing.
To sum up the results, the woman who had the patches added to the standard immobilization treatment was the lucky one. She healed and returned to her normal activities 2 weeks or 33% earlier. In sports terms it was a 4 to 6 win.
Patient 1 is 69 year old female in good health that fractured left fibula when she twisted her ankle and inverted her foot/ankle suddenly at home. The fracture was a stable non-displaced oblique type with good alignment. She was treated with simple 6 weeks of a walking cast. She was checked every two weeks and x-rayed at the visits. She was having pain walking without the cast until near 6 weeks and the x-rays showed slow healing consistent with clinical healing at 6 weeks. This is standard for this type fracture. She is now discharged from treatment and doing well.
The orthopedic text book, Surgery of the Foot by Roger Mann, MD. (fifth edition), states, undisclosed stable fractures of the lateral alveolus can begin immediate weight bearing in a short leg walking cast , which should be left in place for 6 weeks. This has also been my experience with these fractures. They can require up to 8 weeks or longer in some cases.
Patient 2 sustained a vertical compression fracture of her distal left alveolus at the same time period. She fell down stairs at home jamming the foot into ground with a high impact causing a comminuted fracture that was more complicated then patient 1. It was however stable and non-displaced. She is a 58 year old post menopausal female in fairly good health also.
She was treated with a similar program of walking cast immobilization; recheck visits and x-rays at every 2 weeks. IN ADDITION SHE WAS GIVEN HERBAL PATCHES TO PLACE OVER THE FRCTURE SITE STARTING AT DAY 1. She used a total of 9 patches over 4 weeks. She followed the protocol of 2 days on, 1 day off with each patch. At 2 weeks the x-ray showed bone callus formation way ahead of the expected and ahead of patient 1. At 4 weeks the x-ray showed a clinically healed fracture and complete resolution of pain to palpation of the fracture site and no pain walking barefoot and in shoes. She was discharged with no further care other than instructions on strengthening the muscles and slowly returning to normal activities.
In comparison of the 2 patients, the only difference in treatment was the herbal patches. The patch treated patient healed clinically and on x-ray, 2 full weeks earlier. This is 33% faster. This was despite a more complicated fracture and more intense initial trauma. This is profound.
In the future, I will be testing other patients and will be re-checking weekly to evaluate if the healing may be sooner than 4 weeks with the herbal patches. Perhaps 3 weeks? I will also add another herbal product, an oral liquid formula which increases micro-circulation.
Returning fracture patients in less time to their normal activities has a major effect on their lives and economically to them and society. This study indicates there is a method to do this and should be considered for further study and testing.
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