Recovery time after wounds

MkMoore

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First of all, this is in a fantasy setting, low magic, with a rudimentary knowledge of surgery. The character in question is a young man in very good shape.

My character gets hit in the shoulder with a shield (I'm assuming dislocation), is thrown from his horse, and is stabbed in the thigh with a wooden spear. He is then left to die in the snow. Someone comes to help him soon afterward, and he's carried (by horseback) to a safe place where he gets medical attention.
1. Would the spear wound necessarily cripple him? How deep can the wound be without suffering major permanent damage?
2. How long would it take before he's able to walk again?
3. How long would it be for his shoulder to heal?
 

Drachen Jager

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I'm not sure that the shield blow would be very likely to dislocate the shoulder, but the fall certainly could.

1) The spear can go right through without permanent damage. It depends on the thickness of the spear and where it goes. He could die within minutes if it hit the artery.

2) A few minutes to never. Again depends on the wound. With medieval or renaissance level surgery he could well develop sepsis and have to lose the leg or die. In fact it would be pretty likely.

3) Dislocations are not generally a serious long-term problem. Most of the time, you pop it back in and it'll just be a little sore for a while, unless it's replaced in the socket incorrectly.
 

crunchyblanket

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As a general rule wooden spear carries a greater likelihood of leaving splinters and other debris in the wound, which in turn would increase the chance of infection or abscess formation. So if you wanted to drag out the poor sod's suffering, that would be one way. Given the setting, it's a safe bet he'd develop some kind of infection, and without medicine it'll spread and cause him major problems.

Healing time would depend on the severity of the wound, and so would the character's ability to walk. If nerves have been severed, or ligaments and tendons badly damaged, he might walk with a permanent limp or perhaps never use that leg again. You'd be looking at quite a substantial wound to cause that sort of damage.
 

GeorgeK

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war is a well oiled machine

Soldiers oiled their weapons. People don't remember that because it's been well over a century since spears were the dominant weapon. Also most people don't take proper care of their shovels.

Shovels, really? What's the point?

The point is care of wooden tools.

Properly cared for, the spear will not give of itself. It will not leave splinters. If it's splintering, then it is weilded by a hack
 

MkMoore

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OK, thanks everyone who answered!

He gets stabbed pretty hard, but I'm not specific as to the location, just generally "above the knee." I intended to have him walking (with a cane or crutch) a week or two after the injury.

I had thought about splinters...the spear comes from a more primitive society, not sure they would have oiled them. Anyway, I will think about it.

Again, thank you for the input.