The human wrist comprises eight relatively small bones that connect to the radius and the ulna, the two long bones of the forearm. A wrist fracture can involve a break in any of these ten bones, although the radius is the most commonly fractured bone of the wrist. Wrist fractures may be accompanied by swelling, difficulties in moving the hand and wrist, and intense pain around the point of the break; however, symptoms may also be less apparent. In order to ensure proper healing of the wrist, it is important to seek timely diagnosis and treatment of a potential wrist fracture, even if symptoms seem minor. At his Caringbah clinic serving the Sutherland Shire community and surrounding South-Eastern Sydney suburbs, Dr. Jai Sungaran can determine the extent of your wrist injury and recommend the most conservative and effective course of treatment.
If you would like to schedule an evaluation of your wrist injury with Dr. Sungaran, please contact Southern Hand & Wrist today.
What are the different types of wrist fractures?
Wrist fractures range from the fairly minor to the extremely severe and complex. The appropriate treatment for the fracture will depend on its type and intensity, among other factors.
Types of wrist fractures include:
- Stable: Stable wrist fractures refer to breaks in which the affected bones are able to heal without surgical intervention, through the aid of a cast or splint. This is generally because the broken bones have not been displaced; that is, they have not been moved out of their normal position, even though a fracture has occurred. In some cases, however, displaced bones will be stable enough to heal properly without surgery after being reset into their proper positions.
- Unstable: Unstable wrist fractures require surgery in order to heal properly. This is because the breaks are too severe to be treated through cast or splint therapy alone. Unstable fractures include displaced breaks that will not retain their positions after being reset without surgery; breaks that occur at the joint surface; and comminuted fractures, or fractures in which the bone shatters into several pieces.
- Compound, or open: Compound, or open, fractures refer to those in which a piece of broken bone penetrates the skin. This is a particularly severe type of fracture in that there is a dramatically increased risk of infection of the exposed bone.
What are the symptoms of a wrist fracture?
As stated above, the symptoms of a wrist fracture can range from the quite blatant to those that do not obviously point to broken bones in the wrist. If you have suffered a wrist injury accompanied by any of the following symptoms, it is important that you contact our practice immediately, as you could be suffering from a wrist fracture:
- Swelling
- Severe pain, especially at and around the point of the fracture and when you move your fingers
- Difficulties moving your hand, especially your fingers and thumb
- Bruising
- Tenderness
- Tingling or numbness, especially in the tips of the fingers and thumb
- Apparent deformity of the hand or wrist
Please keep in mind that, contrary to popular thought, a broken bone does not necessarily result in the inability to move an appendage. It is entirely possible to maintain use of your hand and still have a broken wrist. A delay in diagnosis and treatment could result in poor healing and permanent impairment in your range of motion and grip strength.
How is a wrist fracture diagnosed?
Dr. Sungaran will conduct a physical examination and take x-rays of your wrist to determine whether there is indeed a fracture and the full extent of your injury. He may also order other imaging tests, such as a CT scan, an MRI, or an arthrogram, to diagnose potential damage to the soft tissues of the hand and wrist. These injuries can then be treated simultaneously.
What is diagnostic arthroscopy?
In some cases, Dr. Sungaran may perform diagnostic arthroscopy, especially in particularly severe cases in which surgery is likely indicated anyway. Diagnostic arthroscopy involves the use of a tiny camera attached to a thin tube, which Dr. Sungaran inserts through incisions less than 12 mm long. This camera projects images onto a screen, allowing him to monitor his work through minimal incisions. He is able to pinpoint damage to the bones and soft tissues with absolute accuracy and therefore create the most precise surgical plan possible.
How is a wrist fracture treated?
If it is possible to avoid surgery, Dr. Sungaran will recommend non-surgical treatment of a wrist fracture. Whenever he feels that a patient is likely to recover full function of the wrist through immobilization with a cast or splint in combination with hand therapy, he will recommend this course of treatment.
However, if surgery is necessary to restore function and relieve pain, he will advise the patient honestly and openly of this fact.
Dr. Sungaran performs arthroscopic keyhole” wrist surgery at his Sutherland Shire clinics. This technique allows him to operate through minimal incisions, which in turn helps to reduce healing time and post-surgical discomfort for his patients. Using the tiny camera attached to a thin tube, as described in the diagnostic arthroscopy procedure above, he is able to monitor his work in real time on a screen. With extraordinary precision, he is able to:
- Remove small fragments of shattered bone
- Align broken fragments of bone
- Replace missing or severely damaged bone with bone grafts
- Stabilise fractures with pins, screws, plates, wires, or rods as necessary
Although no surgery is without risk, arthroscopic surgery entails less risk of complications than more traditional open” methods of wrist surgery. Dr. Sungaran is able to achieve consistently excellent results for his patients through a combination of arthroscopic wrist surgery and post-surgical hand therapy. He has a network of trusted hand therapists whom he trusts and with whom he works exclusively. Most of his patients emerge from wrist arthroscopy and hand therapy with their strength, function, and range of motion restored within months. However, some patients may require further surgery to achieve the best possible results.
Learn More about the Diagnosis and Treatment of Wrist Fractures
To learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of wrist fractures, we invite you to contact our main office at Caringbah, or our other location at Sydney Olympic Park, today. We would be pleased to assist you in any way we can.
