Broken Wrist Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
A wrist fracture is a condition in which there is a crack or break in one or more bones in the wrist. Oftentimes, the injuries that lead to wrist fractures occur when a person tries to protect himself when he falls but fails and the body falls on the hand which then breaks.
The risk factors for wrist fractures vary widely. It could be due to participating in certain types of sports, such as ice skating or snowboarding, to the result of certain conditions that make the body’s bones thinner and brittle, such as osteoporosis.
Symptom
Some of the signs and symptoms that can arise from a broken wrist are:
- Very heavy pain
- Swelling and bruising
- Difficulty moving the hand or arm
- The unusual shape of the hand or arm
- Crackling sound at the time of occurrence
- Bleeding, when the bone shifts position to cause damage to the skin
- Tingling or numb feeling
- Weakness or dizziness, due to pain that arises
Reason
A direct impact or injury to the hand and arm can cause a fracture of the wrist. Some common causes of wrist fractures include:
- Fall. Falling with the hand crushed by the body is one of the most common causes of wrist fractures.
- Sports injuries. Contact sports or sports that have a risk for players to fall are one of the risk factors for wrist fractures. Some examples are ice skating and snowboarding.
- Traffic accident. Traffic accidents caused by motorized vehicles can cause wrist fractures, which sometimes require surgical treatment.
Diagnosis
Determining the diagnosis of a wrist fracture can be done by medical interview regarding the sequence of events of the injury, and direct physical examination.
In addition, supporting examinations can also be carried out. Several types of supporting examinations that can be carried out are:
- X-ray photo. X-rays using X-rays are taken to get an image of the condition of the injured wrist bone.
- Computerized Tomography (CT) scans. A CT scan can find fractures or broken bones that may not show up on X-rays.
Injuries to soft tissue and blood vessels can also be seen on a CT scan. This technology uses X-rays from multiple angles and combines them to show cross-sectional slices of structures inside the body.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This examination uses radio waves and high-power magnets to produce detailed images of the bones and surrounding soft tissue. This technique is much more sensitive than X-rays for detecting very small fractures and ligament injuries.
Treatment
Handling a wrist fracture depends on many things, including the degree of fracture that occurs, age, general health condition, and several other things.
The types of handling actions that can be taken are:
- Immobilization. The first thing that can be done is to immobilize or limit the range of motion of the wrist. To do this, a splint or cast may be needed. It can also be advised to raise the hand as high as possible to reduce swelling and pain.
- Treatment. To reduce pain, doctors can prescribe pain medications. If there is an open fracture, that is, the broken bone causes an injury to the skin, the doctor can also prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.
- Rehabilitation. After the splint or cast has been removed, the affected person may be advised to engage in rehabilitation activities or physical therapy to reduce stiffness and restore the maximum range of movement of the wrist. Rehabilitation can help, but it generally takes several months or more for complete healing.
- Surgery or other procedures. If immobilization is not possible, surgery is usually required to place pins, disks, rods, or screws to ensure the proper position of the bone while it heals.
Surgery is also needed if an open fracture is found, namely a fracture in the form of a piece of bone that shifts before it heals completely (unstable fracture). Other conditions are free bone fragments that go to joints, injuries to ligaments, injuries to nerves or blood vessels around the fracture area, and fractures that affect joints.
Prevention
Several things can be done to minimize the risk of events that can cause wrist fractures.
- The first thing you can do is build bone strength. Strong bones can be formed by consuming a nutritious diet with an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, exercising with sufficient intensity, such as brisk walking, and quitting smoking for smokers.
- Preventing falls can also be done in several ways. These include the act of wearing comfortable and appropriate footwear, ensuring that living or workplace lighting is sufficient, checking visibility regularly, ensuring that stairs have handrails, avoiding walking in slippery areas, installing handrails in bathrooms, and so on.
Sports athletes are also advised to use personal protective equipment when carrying out activities such as ice skating, football, rugby, and so on.