Hand fractures might not sound as serious as a broken leg, but losing the use of a hand can have a significant impact on your daily life. If you have a hand fracture, the highly skilled team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri, has the expertise to set the breaks and make sure you regain the use of your hand as quickly as possible. Call Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine today to find out about hand fracture treatments, or book an appointment online.
A hand fracture is a crack or break in the bones of your hand. The most common causes are falls and severe blows to the hand. Car accidents and crushing injuries can also cause hand fractures, and playing contact sports increases your risk of sustaining a hand fracture.
You might break one bone, several, or many, and the break could be a simple, clean fracture, or a severe injury with the bones broken into many pieces.
Getting the right treatment for hand fractures is essential. Without proper attention, the bones in your hand could heal poorly or become misaligned, which can severely affect your ability to use your hands. The right treatment also reduces the chance of you developing stiffness and chronic pain.
Hand fractures might not be immediately obvious if there’s a simple, stable break. Signs that you could have a fractured hand include:
Pain caused by a hand fracture typically worsens when you try and squeeze or grip with the affected hand.
Hand fractures can sometimes cause damage to the nerves and blood vessels. This could cause a loss of feeling and circulation problems that need urgent attention.
Your provider at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine decides on your treatment after reviewing the extent of the fracture. The team takes X-rays to see how bad the breaks are in your hand. A stable fracture where the two broken ends of the bone are still aligned might just need immobilization in a cast or brace.
If the ends of the bones aren’t in line, your provider needs to get them back in the right position as soon as possible. They might be able to manipulate the bones using their hands in some cases, which is called reduction.
Reduction can prevent the need for surgery if your provider can get the bones to align perfectly. If you’re in a lot of pain or the hand is badly swollen, you might need an anesthetic before undergoing reduction.
Fractures are normally painful, so you’ll probably need to take pain-relieving medication. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen can ease the pain and inflammation but might affect the bone healing process, so you should follow your provider’s advice about which pain medication to use.
Surgery might be necessary for a bad hand fracture. Your broken bones could need fixing with pins, rods, plates, or screws, and you might need a bone graft in some cases.
As your hand heals, physical therapy helps you build strength and regain function.
We proudly serve the greater Kansas City area. If you’ve injured your hand, get it checked out by the experts at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Call the office today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.
