Hand Fracture
A broken hand is a break or crack in one or more of the bones of your hand. This injury can be caused by direct blows or falls. Motor vehicle crashes can cause hand bones to break, sometimes into many pieces, and often require surgical repair.
You may be at higher risk of a broken hand if you participate in contact sports like football or hockey, or if you have a condition in which bones become thinner and more fragile (osteoporosis).
It’s important to treat a broken hand as soon as possible. Otherwise, the bones might not heal in proper alignment, which might affect your ability to do everyday activities, such as writing or buttoning a shirt. Early treatment will also help minimize pain and stiffness.
HAND & WRIST ANATOMY
DISEASE EXPLAINED
SYMPTOMS
Severe pain that might worsen when gripping or squeezing or moving your hand
Swelling
Tenderness
Bruising
Obvious deformity, such as a crooked finger
Stiffness or inability to move your fingers or thumb
Numbness in your hand or fingers
CAUSES
Hand fractures can be caused by a direct blow or crushing injury. Motor vehicle crashes can cause hand bones to break, sometimes into many pieces, and often require surgical repair.
Your risk of a broken hand may be increased if you participate in sports like football, soccer, rugby, or hockey. Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones, may also increase your risk of a broken hand.
TREATMENT
TREATMENT OPTIONS
If the broken ends of the bone aren’t aligned, there can be gaps between the pieces of bone or fragments might overlap. Your doctor will need to manipulate the pieces back into position, a procedure known as a reduction. Depending on the amount of pain and swelling you have, you might need a local or general anesthetic before this procedure.
Whatever your treatment, it’s important to move your fingers regularly while the fracture is healing to keep them from stiffening. Ask your doctor about the best ways to move them. If you smoke, quit. Smoking can delay or prevent bone healing.
Immobilization
Restricting the movement of a broken bone in your hand is critical to proper healing. To do this, you’ll likely need a splint or a cast. You’ll be advised to keep your hand above heart level as much as possible to reduce swelling and pain.
Medications
To reduce pain, your doctor might recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever. If your pain is severe, you might need an opioid medication, such as codeine.
NSAIDs can help with pain but might also hamper bone healing, especially if used long-term. Ask your doctor if you can take them for pain relief.
If you have an open fracture, in which you have a wound or break in the skin near the wound site, you’ll likely be given an antibiotic to prevent infection that could reach the bone.
Therapy
After your cast or splint is removed, you’ll likely need rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy to reduce stiffness and restore movement in your hand. Rehabilitation can help, but it can take several months or longer for complete healing.
Surgical and other procedures
You might need surgery to implant pins, plates, rods or screws to hold your bones in place while they heal. A bone graft might be used to help healing. These options might be necessary if you have:
An open fracture
A fracture in which the bone pieces move before they heal
Loose bone fragments that could enter a joint
Damage to the surrounding ligaments, nerves or blood vessels
Fractures that extend into a joint
Even after reduction and immobilization with a cast or splint, your bones can shift. So your doctor likely will monitor your progress with X-rays. If your bones move, you might then need surgery.
CONTACTING DR. PERLMUTTER
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