When you fall on an outstretched hand (FOOSH) you can fracture all the way from your wrist to your clavicle (collar bone). Since the wrist is critical for many functions it is the worst place to fracture. The shaft of the radius often needs a plate and screws put in to fix the alignment. I've seen hundreds of radial head fractures and can't think of one that went to the OR. Clavicle fractures usually heal fine but sometimes need a plate. Fractures of the upper arm (humerus) vary but take a lot of force. None are good but some heal n their own.
In short, don't let the wrist bear all the force. Let your arm crumple and distribute the force over your whole arm, shoulder and side if you can. Of course putting the hand out is a reflex and we are generally surprised when we fall so that's tough to do.
That was me 18 months ago. Slipped and fell, caught myself with my right hand - the dominant one, of course
. I thought (hoped) it was just a sprain at first. My first reaction was "I'll just walk this off for a bit". But, as the pain intensified and the swelling increased, I admitted to myself that it was probably broken. So, off to a local health centre we went - x-rays confirmed it - I had a compression fracture of the radius right behind the wrist. Doc injected a local anesthetic, set it and casted it up. He then said he needed to send a post-casting x-ray to Orthopedics at the main hospital downtown to see if they were happy with it. They weren't. I had to go downtown, have the cast cut off (under conscious sedation) and the Orthopedic specialist re-set and cast it. That was a long day.
For the first few days after casting, the most uncomfortable part was the swelling. It felt like my arm was going to explode, so I borrowed a cooling blanket machine which provided some relief.
Six weeks later, the cast was removed. The radius is now a bit shorter than it was, leaving my hand at a slight inward angle. After a few weeks of physio, I regained most of my range of motion. And, while I've regained sufficient strength in my arm for normal activities, I still have some restriction. Ironically, I feel no pain or discomfort in my radius, but I do on the
ulna side of my wrist. I can pull with it, as in rowing, without a problem. But should I try to throw or curl a dumbbell, that is
really uncomfortable.
I've discussed it with an Orthopedic surgeon. He told me we could try to fix it, but it would involve bone grafting, with no guarantee of improvement. Since, I can maintain normal activities - change a tire, shovel snow, do woodwork, etc. - we agreed that surgery was not called for. He said that we could revisit it if I found that the restrictions became a major hinderance. Well, 18 months after breaking it, I'm not ready to go under the knife yet. The discomfort in my wrist is (very) gradually lessening. I may do a pull-up again someday...
Sorry for hi-jacking your thread,
@Pogre. But, it
is on topic.
