What Are Hand Fractures?
The hand is made up of many bones that form its supporting framework. This frame acts as a point of attachment for the muscles that make the wrist and fingers move. A fracture occurs when enough force is applied to a bone to break it. When this happens, there is pain, swelling, and decreased use of the injured part. Many people think a fracture is different from a break, but they are the same. Fractures may be simple, with the bone pieces aligned and stable. Other fractures are unstable, and the bone fragments tend to displace or shift. Some fractures occur in the bone's shaft (main body); others break the joint surface. Comminuted fractures (bone is shattered into many pieces) usually occur from a high energy force and are often unstable. An open (compound) fracture occurs when a bone fragment breaks through the skin. There is some risk of infection with compound fractures.
Fractures often occur in the hand. They may cause pain, stiffness, and loss of movement. Some fractures cause an obvious deformity, such as a crooked finger, but many do not. Because bones are closely related to ligaments and tendons, the hand may be stiff and weak after the fracture heals. Fractures that involve joint surfaces may lead to early arthritis in those involved joints.
Treatment
Medical evaluation and X-rays are usually needed so that your doctor can tell if there is a fracture and to help determine the treatment. Depending upon the fracture type, your hand surgeon may recommend one of several treatment methods.
A splint or cast may be used to treat a fracture that is not displaced or to protect a fracture that has been set. Some displaced fractures may need to be set and held with wires or pins without incision. This is called closed reduction and internal fixation.
Other fractures may need surgery to set the bone (open reduction). Once the bone fragments are set, they are held together with pins, plates, or screws. Fractures that disrupt the joint surface (articular fractures) usually need to be set more precisely to restore the joint surface as smoothly as possible. Occasionally, the bone may be missing or so severely crushed that it cannot be repaired. In such cases, a bone graft may be necessary. In this procedure, bone is taken from another part of the body to help provide more stability.
Fractures that have been set may be held in place by an “external fixator,” a set of metal bars outside the body attached to pins placed in the bone above and below the fracture site. This device effectively keeps the bone in traction until the bone heals.
Once the fracture is sufficiently stable, motion exercises may be started to avoid stiffness. Your hand surgeon may determine when the fracture is sufficiently stable.
Perfect alignment of the bone on X-ray is not always necessary to get good function. A bony lump may appear at the fracture site as the bone heals, known as a “fracture callus.” This functions as a “spot weld.” This is a normal healing process; the lump usually gets smaller over time. Problems with fracture healing include stiffness, shift in position, infection, slow healing, or complete failure to heal. Smoking has been shown to slow fracture healing. Fractures in children occasionally affect the future growth of that bone. You can lessen the chances of complication by carefully following your hand surgeon’s advice during the healing process and before returning to work or sports activities. Your physician may recommend a hand therapy program with splints and exercises to speed up and improve the recovery process.