Using heavy machinery that vibrates, which could jar the fracture and break apart the bone again.Quitting smoking as this habit can delay any kind of healing by the body.Using a cast or brace to help reinforce your efforts at immobilizing the scaphoid bone.Immobilizing the area until your physician says it is okay to reintroduce movements and strengthening exercises.The best ways to support the health of your scaphoid bone after a fracture include: Sadly, scaphoid fractures are often difficult to repair because there is not a lot of blood supplied near the scaphoid bone, which hinders the healing process and makes complications during recovery extremely common. After the injury has been addressed, you will begin the healing process. One of our highly trained physicians will suggest a treatment plan based upon your individual case and type of scaphoid fracture, which may or may not include surgical intervention. Consistent pain lasting beyond 1 or 2 days.Pain that may worsen with movement of the wrist or thumb, specifically when attempting a grasping or pinching motion.Most patients with a fractured scaphoid will experience: Even if you are confident that you have a broken carpal, it is difficult to confirm which particular bone is broken without an X-ray or other imaging scan. How Do You Know of if You Have a Scaphoid Fracture?ĭue to the multiple carpal bones in the wrist, it is not always easy to know whether one has been broken or not. As you may have guessed, it is simpler to have a nondisplaced fracture than a displaced one, since a nondisplaced fracture will have a better chance of healing correctly. A clean, or nondisplaced fracture will still line up correctly, whereas a displaced fracture will have gaps between different pieces of the bone or overlapping fragments. There may also be a difference in the fracture itself and whether it was clean or not. Most often, the scaphoid will break in the middle or at its “waist”, though it is also possible for the scaphoid to break at its proximal or distal end points. A break can occur anywhere along the bone, making a difference in its classification. Not all scaphoid fractures are created equal. It is difficult to see the scaphoid bone itself without an X-ray because the bone is covered by tendons in the hand. The scaphoid is one of several small bones in the wrist, which are often referred to collectively as the carpals. More specifically, it exists between the bones of the thumb and radius. Where is My Scaphoid Bone?Īs mentioned, the scaphoid is located within your wrist. This instinctive action rarely works out in your favor, as it puts a huge amount of stress on the tiny bones in your hand and wrist, which is what typically causes them to break. Most people sustain a scaphoid fracture after trying to break their fall with their hand. Well, scaphoid fractures are injuries of the wrist, and are actually incredibly common. When there is pain in the area of the scaphoid, repeating an x-ray ~2 weeks later or having an MRI or CT scan can be helpful to make a diagnosis.You may be wondering, “what in the world is a scaphoid fracture and why should I be worried about it?”. Additionally, if a diagnosis is not made and the wrist is used normally, the motion across the fracture site can prevent the two pieces from healing together normally. Sometimes, x-rays do not show the fracture immediately after the injury if the fracture is not displaced. If you have pain in your wrist after a fall, x-rays are important to rule out a fracture. Delayed treatment can cause healing problems. The scaphoid bone has a very tenuous and fragile blood supply. The normal blood flow to the bone can be disrupted by a fracture that shifts the bone. Unfortunately, the pain will inevitably return as the unhealed scaphoid fracture later results in wrist arthritis. The pain may subside after several weeks or months in some scaphoid fractures, resulting in many patients believing they just suffered a “sprain”. Scaphoid fractures commonly occur following a fall onto the hand or wrist. A broken scaphoid bone typically produces pain along the thumb side of the wrist, which is worse when pressure is applied or when trying to bend the wrist. The scaphoid is one of 8 small bones in the wrist joint, called carpal bones, which together allow the wrist to bend normally. The carpal bones form two rows across the wrist, and the scaphoid bone is an important connection between those two rows that is instrumental for full and painless motion.
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