Fractured Scaphoid (aka broken wrist)

[grasshoppa]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone else here has ever broken their wrist, and more specifically, have fractured the scaphoid bone. I broke mine in January of this year (2012), the doctor told me mine wasn't that bad, did not require surgery, and actually healed quickly on it's own. I have been lifting weights, and exercising and I believe I have rebuilt the strength around the wrist to the level it was at before. However, I still have pain when putting any sort of pressure on it. I can do pushups, but it hurts and try to do hand stand work is even more painful. This is 9 months later, so my question is Will it ever feel like it was before the fracture?

[Joshua Naterman]

Get it re-checked for avascular necrosis.

[Jeff Parrott]

Here is my experience as best as I can remember. I broke my scaphoid about four years ago. It was undiagnosed for about six weeks because it didn't seem that bad, just a few days after breaking my scaphoid my wrist seemed mostly fine. Much like you describe, the only real pain was in wrist extension. Push-ups were quite painful, but pull-ups were pain free. After six weeks of no improvement in extension I went to the doctor who diagnosed the broken scaphoid and I had surgery a few days later followed by a cast for a few weeks.

Since the surgery, with a good bit of work (although not as consistent as it should have been), my wrist has definitely improved, but it doesn't quite feel perfect. It is a little less flexible than my other wrist, and gets sore more easily after hand-balancing (even though it is on my stronger side.) My wrist also pops quite a lot. But I think it is stronger than it was before surgery and it rarely bothers me.

That being said, I'm not 100% sure the surgery was necessary or helped, but I would recommend you go back to the doctor. What was your treatment, a cast or something similar?

I don't have any advice other than to have it checked again. Best of luck in your healing/rehab.

[Chris Edgar]

I'd say definitely follow Joshua's advice!

One of my best friends was misdiagnosed for a broken wrist and left his unchecked for 8 months. He ended up with necrosis and a huge cyst filling the bone, had to have a bone graft and metal work put in and 6 months later, it's still to weak to get into a push up position!

I think, due to relatively poor amount of blood flow through the area, it has a very slow healing rate and this makes it difficult to rehabilitate. Leaving it will cost you twice as much recovery time in the long run!

Chris.

[Joshua Naterman]

I'd say definitely follow Joshua's advice!

One of my best friends was misdiagnosed for a broken wrist and left his unchecked for 8 months. He ended up with necrosis and a huge cyst filling the bone, had to have a bone graft and metal work put in and 6 months later, it's still to weak to get into a push up position!

I think, due to relatively poor amount of blood flow through the area, it has a very slow healing rate and this makes it difficult to rehabilitate. Leaving it will cost you twice as much recovery time in the long run!

Chris.

Yes. Poor vasculature (not much blood flow, due to not many blood vessels supplying that particular bone) in the scaphoid leaves it extremely vulnerable to dying from lack of blood when broken. That, my friend, is the worst news ever. Please get that checked OP!