Broken Leg in a Cast and Limping Afterward

After 9 weeks, her muscle tone has diminished significantly, so she has to build back up. Activity and physical use of muscles, they will gradually strengthen. Building back is always slower than the decline. Remember, her balance has been off due to size and weight of cast and boot, so she has favored that side a long time and muscles on the other side have been compromised as well. I would not think anything abnormal at this time. Her security in using muscles will improve soon as long as she isn't having pain. Right now, it should be weakness more than pain. With lack of use, the muscles and tendons will atrophy and weaken. Remember this is a case of "if you don't use it, you lose it". Just like if you haven't been exercised and start a program, you have to work up, you can't run a marathon the first time you try to run. It takes practice. She has to do the same.

Maybe a physical therapy evaluation would be of benefit for some strengthening exercise to speed up the process. She did not wear the cast too long. Bones take longer to regrow than soft tissues.

Totally normal. She just doesn't trust it yet. My DD broke her leg last year and did the same. It took about a week until she was using it normally.

I had the same experience with a really badly sprained ankle. It took me a week or two to trust that it wasn't injured and could work normally again.

I've never had a broken leg, but I did break my wrist. I remember that it did hurt a bit after the cast was removed. It wasn't that the injury still hurt, exactly. It's used that I hadn't really moved it in 6 weeks, so all the muscles were sore. It probably only lasted a few days (this was several years ago), but even after a few weeks there were some movements here and there that would hurt a bit.

I would think this is completely normal. Not only have some of her muscles not moved much in 6 weeks, but she's putting more weight on it than before.

I would just kind of watch her for a couple of days. If you don't notices it getting any better, then call the doctor. But my guess is you will notice the limp less and less each day.

I'd contact the orthopedic and ask if this is normal. When my daughter broke her leg at a younger age, she went straight from cast to walking. They told me that she lost muscle tone and it would take time. She did have issues for a while but it resolved itself like they said it would.

Being that your daughter had the walking boot for 3 more weeks, I think it is worth a call to ask if this is normal.

Call the doctor but this is totally normal for a few weeks.

My daughter limped for a couple of weeks after she got her cast removed. It had become habit to walk that way.

Once I made sure she wasn't limping due to pain. I just had to remind her when I caught her limping to "walk normal" she would sigh and then start walking correctly.

So, I say it is normal unless she is still in pain.