Treatment Options For Hand And Wrist Fractures

Information Anatomy Treatment Media

The hand and wrist consist of many different bones, muscles and ligaments that enable a wide range of movements. Any injury to the hand and, or wrist, such as a fracture of the bone, can severely limit function and movement. This can negatively impact all areas of your life.

Our surgeon can assist you with the best care. They can help restore function and movement in your hand and wrist at any one of our Advanced Dermatology practices across New York.

Hand and Wrist Anatomy

The wrist is formed by the radius and the ulna, the two forearm bones; and the eight carpal bones. Whereas the bones in the hand include the phalanges (the small bones forming the thumb and fingers) and the metacarpals (the five bones located in the palm of the hand).

The most common hand and wrist fractures include:

The “boxer’s fracture”, a common hand fracture of the fifth metacarpal, the bone that supports the little finger. This fracture is often caused by striking a hard object when your hand is closed.
The scaphoid fracture occurs when one of the small bones of the wrist is cracked. This is often caused by falling onto an outstretched hand.
The radius fracture occurs when one of the long bones of the forearm is damaged. This is often caused by falling and landing on the hand.

Fracture Signs and Symptoms

Some people don’t realise that they’ve broken a bone in their hand or wrist. This is often the case when the scaphoid bone is cracked and there is no obvious deformity in the wrist and very little swelling.

These signs and symptoms can however help you identify a possible fractured hand and wrist:

Tenderness or pain.
Inability to move the finger or limited mobility of the wrist.
Bruising and swelling.
Deformity.
Numbness in your fingers.
Fingers overlapping when making a fist.

It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect that you may have fractured your hand and wrist. Book an appointment with one of our physicians at your nearest Advanced Dermatology surgery in NY.

Diagnoses

Your physician will conduct a physical exam to determine the extent of the injury to your hand and wrist. In addition, X-rays may be done to see the exact location of the fracture and severity thereof. An MRI or CT scan may also be ordered to learn more about the soft tissue around the bone and the displacement of the bones.

These tests will aid your physician in treatment planning and options.

Treatment Options

There are various ways to treat a fractured wrist or hand. These include:

Non-surgical
Often your doctor can realign bone fragments through gently manipulating them back into position. You may need to wear a splint, cast or brace to keep the bones in alignment during the healing process.
Surgical
The goal of surgery is to realign and stabilise the fracture to heal. This can be done through:
- Reduction where the fracture is manipulated and repositioned.
- Internal fixation where metal implants are used to hold the bone in place until it is fully healed.
- Bone graft, whereby a new bone is placed around the broken bone to support and stimulate bone production and healing.

The recovery period will vary depending on the type of treatment and your physician and surgeon will discuss this with you in detail during consultation.

Hand and Wrist Fracture Risks

Where surgery is required to treat a hand and wrist fracture it is important to note that all surgeries come with certain risks and complications. These may include:

An allergic reaction to anesthesia.
Numbness.
Excessive swelling and bleeding.
Stiffness due to prolonged immobilisation during recovery.

It is therefore important to follow your doctor’s instructions with the utmost care to ensure optimum healing during your recovery.

50+ Locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut

We offer a diverse range of medical services and treatment options for hand and wrist fractures. Contact us today to schedule an appointment at a surgery nearest to you.