Looking For A Hand Surgeon For Your Wrist Injury
If you have a wrist injury, theres no need to remain in pain any longer a hand surgeon really makes all the difference. With the right expertise, diagnosis, and treatment you can get back to doing the things you enjoy quicker.
Dont spend another minute wondering if a hand surgeon is right for you, make an appointment today by calling 393-4263 or by scheduling online. At your appointment, I, Dr. Vella, will answer any questions you have and help guide you through the treatment of your wrist injury.
Together, well create a tailored approach for your specific needs that gets your wrist healed and most of all, pain-free.
What Is The Treatment For A Distal Radius Fracture
- Fracture displacement
- Associated ulna fracture and injury to the median nerve
- Whether it is the dominant hand
- Your occupation and activity level
In any case, the immediate fracture treatment is the application of a splint for comfort and pain control. If the fracture is displaced, it is reduced before it is placed in a splint. Fracture reduction is performed under local anesthesia, which means only the painful area is numbed.
Symptoms Of A Broken Hand
A broken hand can exhibit many symptoms depending on the severity of the break. If you break your hand, you may experience any of these symptoms:
Pain that increased while gripping or squeezing
Swelling in the hand, wrist, or fingers
Bruising
Stiffness in the hand, wrist or fingers
Numbness
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How To Tell The Difference Between A Wrist Sprain And A Wrist Fracture
This article was co-authored by Diana Lee, MD. Dr. Diana Lee is a Family Medicine Physician in California. She received her MD from Georgetown University in 2015. Most recently, she completed an Ophthalmic Pathology fellowship at Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests are diverse and include: cataract surgery, dry eye, thyroid eye disease, retinoblastoma and diabetic retinopathy.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 15 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 272,621 times.
When Does Swelling In The Arm Turn Serious
TOS: When Swelling in the Arm Turns Serious. Without treatment, VTOS can lead to blood clots, including pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the lungs. All three subtypes of TOS including VTOS typically affect healthy, young and active people, though symptoms may vary among the types.
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Broken Hand Treatment Options: Hand Fracture Surgery
Fractures that cannot be properly corrected with the aforementioned treatment strategies will require broken hand surgery. During hand fracture surgery, local or general anesthesia may be used depending on the specific surgery. Broken hand surgery may involve the use of small pins and wires that will hold the fractured bones in place for several weeks. In some instances, metal plates and screws may be utilized to ensure the bones of the hand are properly aligned. If a bone has been shattered, it may be necessary to use a bone graft transplanted from another part of the patients body. A bone graft may also be used to treat a bone that has not healed properly after a previous injury.
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Diagnosing A Wrist Injury
When you injure your wrist, your doctor will ask you to describe how the injury occurred and perform a physical examination. Common physical tests during the examination could include:
- Inspecting for deformity, bruising, swelling, and lacerations
- Palpating the critical structures to assess the location of the injury
- Testing your joints to assess their stability
Based on the exam, your doctor may then order an x-ray. An x-ray is needed to decipher between a sprain and a fracture in most situations. If the x-ray appears normal but your symptoms are severe and persistent, your doctor may order additional tests such as a CT scan or an MRI. Rarely would a bone scan would be needed.
Its important to note that fractures of the scaphoid can masquerade as a sprain. This is because sometimes scaphoid fractures arent as painful as distal radius fractures . Your practitioner should check the scaphoid for tenderness and if theres any suspicion, then special x-rays, a CT scan, an MRI, or early follow up and recheck are necessary.
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Dont Ignore Wrist Injuries
Wrist fractures, like essentially all broken bones are best treated when treated early. This may be as simple and putting a brace on, which will immobilize and protect the bone easing the pain and preventing displacement.
Some fractures, like the scaphoid fracture, have poor outcomes when treated late. Due to its unique blood supply, scaphoid fractures have higher risk of non-healing or nonunion than other wrist bones. When this bone does not heal, it will, overtime, develop a predictable pattern of wrist arthritis.
Common Causes Of Hand Injuries
Hand injuries and broken bones have a variety of causes. One of the most common reasons for a broken hand is a force.
Punching a hard surface or sustaining a fall can cause a bone to break, most characterized by pain in your hand. Its not uncommon to use your hands to break a fall, leading to swelling in hands and broken bones.
Its also possible to twist your hand in a way that manipulates the bones, causing one or more to break. This is also true if your hand is accidentally crushed or caught under extreme weight.
People with osteoarthritis are more susceptible to broken bones, as this disease wears down the joints within your hands. If you suffer from osteoarthritis its important to take extra precautions to prevent breaks and fractures.
Its also common to break your hand in the thumb or fingertip region. The side of your hand below your pinky is also another common site for breaks and fractures.
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Can You Move Your Wrist With A Hairline Fracture
You can move the wrist with a hairline fracture but it is typically not recommended. It also depends on the location of the fracture and it severity. Immobilization is typically recommended to prevent healing complications. If you have persistent wrist pain that wont go away, you should be evaluated by an orthopedic hand specialist.
Broken Wrist Or Wrist Fracture
Your wrist is a complex joint made up of the ends of your arm bones and the eight small bones of your wrist. The two bones in your forearm are the radius and the ulna.
There are eight small wrist bones, or carpal bones, between the ends of your radius and ulna and the beginning of your hand bones. The bones in your hand are called your metacarpal bones.
All of these bones, large and small, work together to let you make complex movements with your hands and fingers.
Injuries and fractures can occur anywhere in your wrist joint. If you put too much force on any of your wrist bones, it may fracture. People often get a broken wrist in a fall or motor vehicle accident. Decreased bone density, which is called osteoporosis, can increase your risk for a broken wrist.
The most common type of break happens at the end of the radius, the larger bone of your forearm. This is called a distal radius fracture. A stable wrist fracture is when the large pieces of bones stay in place during the break. An unstable fracture is when the break creates many small pieces of bone or when pieces of bone have moved out of place. A closed fracture means the skin is not pierced by the break. An open wrist fracture is when a piece of the bone comes through the skin.
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Bones Of The Wrist And Hand
There are eight small carpal bones in the wrist that connect to the hand and the forearm. These bones manage hand movement. If you cant move your fingers, its a likely indicator that the wrist is broken.
Ligaments stretch between these carpal bones, connecting one to another. Strain or tearing of the ligament is often what causes pain and swelling in a sprain.
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How Is A Broken Wrist Diagnosed
If you think you may have a broken wrist, you should see a doctor straight away.
Your doctor will assess your general condition, as well as the seriousness of your injury. They will ask about how the injury happened, any symptoms and your medical background.The most common way to diagnose a fracture is by an x-ray. These show the type of break and its location within the bone. Sometimes, a wrist fracture is hard to see on an x-ray. In that case, you may get a repeat x-ray after a week or more, or have a CT scan or MRI scan, depending on what the doctor thinks is most useful.
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What Are The Types Of Orthopedic Treatments
Upon consultation with your hospital, a patient must expect several treatments according to how the body was damaged. An emergency needs professional medical help rather than just relying on home remedies. It is vital to call the emergency hotline to immediately ask for medical assistance from a clinic or a hospital to stop bleeding and infection.
When To See A Hand Surgeon
If you have any suspicions that you may have a fracture, its best to make an appointment with your hand surgeon within a few days. This is because the best way to know if you have a fracture is by getting an x-ray. While urgent care can x-ray and splint your fracture, they can miss the subtler injuries which may delay care. Youll get all the answers you need by seeing a specialist sooner rather than later to avoid further complications.
Heres how to handle seeing a hand surgeon when you suspect a wrist fracture:
- If your wrist is deformed, bruising is present, its severely swollen, or if pain prevents you from moving your wrist normally in any direction its time to see a hand surgeon.
- For milder injuries, call your doctor if your wrist symptoms dont improve within two to three days after your injury.
- See a hand surgeon immediately if you have numbness or trouble moving your fingers.
- You need to go to the ER right away if you have an open fracture .
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Diagnosis And Treatment: How Dr Knight Can Help
A physical examination from the doctor, combined with a detailed medical history, may be enough to diagnose the injury however, an x-ray is deemed the gold standard to identify a fracture. That said, some smaller breaks e.g., a scaphoid fracture may take up to two weeks to appear on an x-ray, complicating diagnosis in the emergency room or urgent care immediately after the injury. In these cases, an MRI or CT scan, which elucidate damage to the soft tissues of the joint, can improve diagnosis.
Treatment for wrist sprains and fractures may be non-surgical or surgical. Immobilization with a splint or cast is common for milder fractures, while various surgical techniques such as the use of pins to fix fractured bone segments together may be needed for complex or severe breaks.
Wrist sprains seldom require surgery, but they can be tricky and often cause much more damage than is apparent. The use of , compression, and splinting can go a long way for milder sprains, but a full tear of a ligament will require surgical repair.
It is important for both injuries to be treated as soon and as comprehensively as possible to avoid any lasting, chronic pain or malformation of the joint. Dr. Knight is one of the premier national wrist specialists with extensive experience in non-surgical and surgical treatment of the wrist. For a deep dive on the treatments offered by Dr. Knight for each injury, see the wrist sprain, wrist fracture, and scaphoid fracture pages.
What Are The Causes Of A Broken Wrist
Your wrist joint is made up of several bones. These include the 8 carpal bones, the radius and the ulna. Any of these bones can break. However, the more common wrist fractures include:
- distal radius and ulna fracture
- scaphoid fracture.
The cause of a broken wrist is usually due to a fall on to an outstretched hand. Other causes include:
- serious accidents such as motor vehicle accidents
- a break that occurs in a weak bone, such as if you have osteoporosis.
Image credit: 123rf
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How To Heal A Sprained Wrist
It is possible for mild wrist sprains to be self-treated at home. The recommendation for sprained wrist treatment is rest, ice, compression, and elevation . Aspirin or ibuprofen can also help minimize swelling. If swelling doesnt go down in 48 hours or the sprain doesnt resolve in two to three days, you should call your hand and wrist specialist.
- Rest: Avoid using the wrist for at least two days.
- Ice: Ice the injury right away and continue applying ice a few times a day for 20 minutes each time.
- Compression: A compression bandage is how to wrap a sprained wrist. It can be used to minimize swelling and provide wrist support.
- Elevation: Elevate your wrist above your heart.
Medical treatment is recommended for moderate and severe sprains. Splints are typically used for moderate sprains. Severe sprains may need surgery in order to connect the ligament to the bone or to reconstruct the ligament.
More Factors That Affect The Cost Of Wrist Surgery
- Prescriptions A physician may prescribe painkillers or antibiotics post-procedure. To avoid high prescription prices, make sure your insurance policy covers the prescriptions you receive. You can also ask if there is a generic version of the same medicine, which can help lower the cost.
- Additional office visits In some cases, you may be charged a separate fee for an initial consultation with the surgeon before the procedure. Complications from wrist surgery are rare. However, your doctor will want to see you for a follow-up appointment one to two weeks after your surgery to evaluate your recovery. Patients often see their doctor at least once more after that, depending on the type of surgery. Ask if these follow up visits are included in the total cost of your procedure.
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Orthopedic Hand And Wrist Care In North Dakota
At The Bone & Joint Center, our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons are skilled in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of common and complex conditions affecting the hand and wrist.
To find out more information about the orthopedic hand and wrist issues we treat, visit us today. You can make an appointment by calling 946-7400 / 900-8650. You can also request an appointment online. We look forward to serving you!
How Long Will Wrist Surgery Recovery Take
Like with any type of injury, wrist surgery recovery time will vary depending on the type of injury, the type of surgery, and the general health of the individual before the operation. For most people, wrist surgery recovery times range from a few weeks to several months. The bone itself may heal within a month or two, but fully recovering from the surgery or the injury can take 4 to 6 months.1 Consult with your doctor to get a more specific recovery timetable for yourself.
As a guide, here are some general wrist surgery recovery times:
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Is My Wrist Sprained Or Fractured
Even a small slip or fall onto an outstretched hand can injure your wrist, but just how bad is it? Should you ice and elevate the injury? Or go to the doctor for an X-ray? Orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist Dr. Andrew Tyser lends his expertise on this episode of The Specialists, and explains what to look out for when it comes to wrist injuries.
Wrist Sprain Vs Broken Wrist: Signs To Tell Which Happened
There are eight small bones in your wrist. Any of them can break and cause severe damage to your wrist.
Depending on the break, your wrist could take anywhere from weeks to months to heal.
Maybe you broke one of these eight wrist bones, but youre unsure if its a break or a sprain. How do you tell the difference?
Heres a guide on the difference between a wrist sprain and a wrist break that can give you insight on if you should see a doctor and the treatment options available to you.
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How To Cope With A Broken Wrist
This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care.There are 27 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 27 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 486,542 times.
A broken wrist actually can include the distal radius and/or ulna as well as several other bones in the wrist . It is a fairly common injury.XResearch source In fact, the radius is the most commonly broken bone in the arm. One in 10 broken bones in the United States is a broken distal radius.XResearch source A broken wrist can happen when you fall or get hit by something. People at particularly high risk for broken wrists include athletes who play high-impact sports and people with osteoporosis . If youve been treated for a broken wrist, you will probably have to wear a splint or cast until your wrist heals. Read on to learn some ways to cope with a broken wrist.
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