As I mentioned in an earlier post, and in my post about my webpage, I broke both my wrists in September.  I have gotten one free, but one is still in it’s cast.

My left wrist was a small hairline fracture, so it had no problems healing within the six week period.  I’m pretty much back to normal, with no pain and very little strength lost.  It has been a pretty smooth recovery.

My right wrist on the other hand, has been a different story.  I broke the Scaphoid Bone.
 Who gets this fracture?

In adolescents and young adults, fracture of this bone is the most common fracture around the wrist. Men are ten times more likely to fracture this bone than women. Although the bone is small, it takes a lot to break it. Oddly enough, twice as much force is required to

break the scaphoid bone as to break one of the bigger forearm bones. Because of this, most patients who have broken their scaphoid have done it while participating in sports, such as football, basketball, riding a motorcycle or in an automobile accident. Usually the patient falls on the outstretched hand and hyperextends the wrist joint.What is so special about this fracture?

Because the bone is entirely inside the joint, there are some unique things about this fracture. The patient frequently overlooks the fracture because it feels like “just a sprain.” There is often only a little swelling and a variable amount of pain may be present. Usually, the swelling will go away in a few days. Unlike the forearm, hand, and finger bones, fractures of the scaphoid almost never show any obvious deformity of the wrist. “It doesn’t look broken.” These factors can make it common for the diagnosis to be delayed for weeks, months or occasionally even years after the initial injury because the patient or his doctor thinks it is just a common wrist sprain.

 Treatment

If it is a simple, nondisplaced fracture, orthopedists usually treat the injury with cast immobilization to see if the fracture heals in a timely manner. Repeat x-rays are taken over several weeks or months, and the physician can watch for appropriate healing, which can take 10 to 12 weeks. If it does not heal, surgery can be considered.

Right now I am scheduled to get the cast off and have my final X-Rays on November 27.  I am hoping that it will have healed properly and that I can start on the rehab. 12 weeks is long enough in a cast!!!  I’m ready to take it off!!!