Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 7/11/2008

Question
Have you run across cases where people feel no bone pain?

I've had three rt knee operations including one that removed ~1/4 of the kneecap, and once over the operative anesthetic just took advil. Also busted the left ankle, got dizzy, very sick, then hopped over to the fridge and ace wrapped on cold jell bag as a splint, had a friend take me to the ER and waited for 45 min until I got ticked off and made them see me. Surgens report said there were 4 main fragements, got 9 screws and a plate, again nothing but advil. Do feel skin pain just fine--they took out a screw, taking it out didn't hurt, cutting to get to it did. :/

Other data, most anesthisia and pain killers such as demeral make me very sick for days, but not morphine.

Common, rare, unheard of, normal?

Thanks!

Jack

Answer
There are no pain fibers in the bone. Most pain from fractures is from the muscles surrounding the bone and either direct damage to it or from stretching, etc. There are some pain fibers on the periosteum of the bone but what you describe is not unusual.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston