Wrist Fracture from a Fall on Ice

In winter, trauma specialists see many patients with arm injuries after falling on a slippery road. A person instinctively puts out a palm in front, and the whole load falls on the wrist. Let’s look at how a hand fracture shows itself, what to do right after a fall and how treatment goes.

Why a Wrist Fracture Can Happen After a Fall on Ice

When you fall onto an outstretched arm, the impact lands on the area of the wrist joint. The radius most often breaks — its lower end — and less often the small bones of the wrist, such as the scaphoid or lunate. The risk rises because of ice, smooth-soled footwear and weakened bones in osteoporosis, especially in people over 50. A fall from standing height on a slippery road is one of the most common causes of this injury. A fracture can be closed or open, displaced or not.

Symptoms of a Hand and Wrist Fracture After a Fall

Right after the impact, sharp pain in the wrist area, swelling and a bruise appear. Sometimes the arm looks deformed. But even if the arm moves, that does not rule out a fracture: a crack in the wrist often shows itself only as pain.

How an Arm Fracture Shows Itself

• sharp pain that gets worse with movement and load;
• swelling and bleeding under the skin that spreads to the palm;
• visible deformity of the wrist;
• being unable to make a fist or turn the hand;
• numbness and tingling in the fingers;
• a crunching sound when moving.

Pain in the palm when pressing in the “snuffbox” at the base of the thumb may indicate an injury to the scaphoid bone. It is often missed, mistaken for a bruise.

In Which Cases Urgent Medical Help Is Required

Go to an emergency trauma center or call an ambulance urgently if there is visible deformity, the fingers have gone numb or pale, there is a wound and the bone sticks out, or the pain is growing. The table helps to tell a bruise from a fracture.

First Aid if You Suspect a Hand Fracture After a Fall

• Fix the arm in a motionless position: use a splint, thick cardboard or a rolled-up newspaper, and apply a bandage from the fingers to the middle of the forearm.
• Take off rings, bracelets and watches before swelling develops.
• Apply cold through a cloth for 15–20 minutes.
• Keep the arm raised.
• Take a painkiller if there are no contraindications.

You must not set the bone, massage, warm or pull on the fingers. If the bone damages the skin, cover the wound with a sterile dressing and call an ambulance. Emergency help for injuries is available at the Helyos medical center.

Diagnosis of a Hand Fracture at the Helyos Medical Center

An orthopedic trauma doctor examines the arm and checks sensation, pulse and finger mobility. The main method is an X-ray in two views. If the fracture is not visible but is suspected, a CT or MRI is ordered. This is important so as not to miss a crack in the scaphoid bone. You can book an appointment with a specialist in orthopedics and traumatology.

Hand Surgery at Helyos: When an Operation May Be Needed

If a fracture of the radius is not displaced, the arm is immobilized in a plaster cast for 4–6 weeks. With displacement, the doctor may perform a reduction, that is, put the fragments back in place. When the fracture is unstable, involves the joint or is badly displaced, an operation is needed: the fragments are joined with a plate and screws or wires. For more detail on the methods, see the page on hand surgery in Dnipro.

To avoid losing hand strength, it is important not to give up exercises after the cast comes off. How long does a wrist fracture take to heal? The bone knits in about 6–8 weeks, and full recovery of movement takes 3–6 months. You can start working the hand only after the cast is removed and with the doctor’s permission. Therapeutic exercise and physiotherapy are prescribed, so rehabilitation after musculoskeletal injuries is useful. The consequences of a fracture, if untreated, are deformity, pain, reduced hand strength and arthrosis of the joint.