varacefan

My husband works in law enforcement and badly broke his arm when a car pulled out in front of him when he was escorting a funeral (he rides a motorcycle). Now I have the task of figuring out how to alter his shirts to fit over the "external fixation device" on his arm - it's a metal bar and pins to hold the bone still while it heals).
Has anyone had this problem? Any ideas?

Thanks!

lfw045

First measure the circumference of his arm with the device on. Then remove the stitching along the length of the sleeve and add the appropriate amount of matching fabric so that it can be removed again when he is healed and sewn back to it's original size

varacefan

Thanks!

maryb119

Perhaps a zipper put in the underarm seam of the sleeve would help. My SIL broke his leg in an accident at work and had the external rods and pins from the hip to the ankle. He wore loose shorts that I put in a seperating zipper in the outside seam. I put the clasp end at the waist line so that it would zip DOWN the leg. That way as the hardware was removed, he could zip it down more to close the pantleg. His doctor said he had never seen it done like that but wished I lived closer to the hospital because he would send patients my way for alterations. I hope your husband does well in his recovery.

Oklahoma Suzie

my husband had that too, I have to open the seams of his shirts.

varacefan

That's a good idea! I measured to try to add fabric to the sleeves and it was too big. I think I'll try zippers or velcro!

elizajo

After one of my daughter's orthopedic surgeries, she was casted with the elbow bent and the thumb was extended. Our first problem with shirts was the armhole size. After you open the sleeve seam, but before you start on the zipper, make sure to test the armhole. You may need to go up a shirt size.