Offset wrist fracture
Content:
- Symptoms of a misaligned wrist fracture
- Displaced wrist fracture treatment
- Rehabilitation and recovery after a broken wrist
A fall on an outstretched arm may well provoke a standard wrist fracture in a person without displacement. This injury is quite common, especially in those people who lead an active lifestyle. Along with them, other types of fractures of the wrist occur, namely: with displacement and fracture of the radius. The first is a common type of fracture, in which a peripheral bone fragment is noted towards the back of the wrist and thumb.
Experts call the presented damage Kolles's fracture. Statistics indicate that a similar fracture of the wrist occurs in 27% of cases.
Symptoms of a misaligned wrist fracture
The signs of the described damage are quite obvious and they affect, first of all, in:
- The occurrence of puffiness in the area of the hand;
- Visually noticeable deformation;
- A feeling of sharp soreness in the injured area, which increases when trying to move the fingers. Very often this syndrome makes even the slightest movement of the fingers impossible;
- In some cases, there is a change in the color of the hand to blue, which occurs due to internal hemorrhage in the soft tissue area.
Thus, any attempt to make any wrist movements, including minimal ones, turns out to be almost impossible for the victim, which should be considered an eloquent sign of injury. In order to clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to take an X-ray.
In case of fractures of the hand with displacement, most often, it is advisable to take pictures in three projections at once. In more complex cases, their number may increase. If the signs presented above do not completely coincide with what the victim feels, then this indicates that he has only a sprain of the ligaments of the hand or a standard contusion of the hand. These damages can be easily confused without being a specialist. In order to preserve human health, it is recommended to be careful in the process of fixing the limb and to minimize any attempts to move the hand. This will greatly facilitate further treatment.
Displaced wrist fracture treatment
After the patient is admitted to the hospital and all diagnostic methods necessary for a fracture of the hand with displacement have been applied, a course of treatment should be started. First of all, the so-called reposition of those parts of the bone that have undergone destruction is carried out. In the vast majority of cases, the procedure involves the use of anesthesia, and in more rare cases, surgery.
After the bones have been aligned, the injured limb is immobilized. To do this, it is necessary to use a plaster cast until the hand and damaged bones heal themselves.
To maintain immobility in the limb area, a variety of methods are used:
- a plaster cast or a special splint (these two methods can be applied together and without surgery);
- a metal plate with screws (you cannot do without performing an operation);
- standard screws that do not provide for any fixing elements (in this case, surgical intervention is also necessary).
If the victim has a high threshold of sensitivity to painful sensations (especially in the elderly and children), then the process of treating a displaced wrist fracture will also involve the use of various pain relievers. In most cases, this is limited to the use of drugs such as analgin or baralgin. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the individual characteristics of the organism.
In a plaster bandage or with any other fixing element, the victim can walk for a long time: from 8 to 11 weeks. After the plaster has been removed, it should be considered mandatory to carry out a repeated X-ray. This will ensure that the bones are no longer misaligned.
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Rehabilitation and recovery after a broken wrist
As part of rehabilitation and recovery, it is necessary to carry out special exercises that:
- will strengthen the muscles;
- will significantly increase the range of motion in the wrist area.
In case of a healed fracture of the hand with an offset, it is necessary to seek advice from a physiotherapist. It is he who will designate the list of exercises, but it makes sense to do this only after the bones have again received a sufficient degree of strength. It is best to forget about going in for sports for the next two to three months - until the wrist as a whole is completely stronger.
A course of physiotherapeutic procedures will help speed up rehabilitation and recovery. Experts recommend signing up for a regenerating hand massage. This will give an opportunity for all those ligaments and vessels that have had time to "stagnate", to resume optimal functioning.
Exercises after a broken wrist
As noted above, in the framework of rehabilitation after a fracture of the hand with an offset, regular exercises should be performed to help strengthen this area.
These include such as:
- gentle flexion and extension of the injured hand in the joint itself;
- elementary tying shoelaces.
It is also permissible to throw a tennis ball that is not too large and hard, which cannot injure the hand, against a wall. In this case, it is advisable to carefully spread your fingers so that the blow is not so strong. In addition, it will not be superfluous to move a regular box of matches in your hand once a day for five to seven minutes. You should sort it along the edges, without using the other hand at this time.
In the process of implementing the exercises presented, it is important to remember that their careful implementation will be the key to a quick recovery of the hand. Over time, it is recommended to increase the amount of exercise until motor skills are 100% normal. Thus, a displaced hand fracture is characterized by quite obvious symptoms, and the process of treatment and recovery will be quite long.
Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist
Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.
