614-262-4263
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614-262-4263
Request Appointment
Fractures

Hand and Microsurgery Associates

Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery located in Columbus, OH
If you break a bone in your hand, wrist, or arm, professional treatment is critical to ensuring you regain full use of your arm and avoid permanent deformity. The team of board-certified orthopedic hand surgeons at Hand and Microsurgery Associates in Columbus, Ohio, provides state-of-the-art treatments for fractures so you can recover quickly and safely. If you need expert treatment for a fracture, call Hand and Microsurgery Associates today.
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Fractures Q & A

What are prevalent hand, wrist, and arm fractures?
Hand, wrist, and arm fractures are common injuries that occur during sports accidents, falls, and automobile collisions. The delicate bones in your hands, wrists, and forearms are vulnerable to breaks during forceful impacts and sudden, abnormal twists.

Hand

The fifth metacarpal bone — the bone in your hand that supports your little finger — is the most frequently broken bone in the hand. Sometimes called a boxer’s fracture, the bone cracks near the knuckle joint and is usually caused by striking something with your fist.

Wrist

The two most common wrist fractures are distal radius and scaphoid fractures. A distal radius fracture is a break in your radius bone, close to your wrist. The scaphoid is one of the eight small bones in your wrist. It’s located near the base of your thumb. Both distal radius and scaphoid fractures are most often due to falling onto an outstretched arm.

Arm

You’re more likely to break your ulna or radius — the two bones in your forearm, than the thicker humerus in your upper arm. In most cases, arm fractures are due to falling onto an outstretched hand, although you can also break your arm during a sports or automobile accident.

An elbow fracture is another common type of broken arm. In most cases, you break the tip of your ulna, which forms the point of your elbow. Elbow fractures are usually due to falling onto the joint or a direct blow.

What are the signs of a broken bone?
Pain is one of the most common symptoms of a fracture. The pain is usually immediate and intense. You also develop rapid swelling and bruising around a fracture. Your injury is tender to the touch, although the swelling could also cause numbness in your hand or fingers.

You might lose the ability to bend or twist your fingers, elbow, or forearm, depending on the location of your broken bone. You might also have a visible lump or deformity near the fracture.

How are fractures treated?
The team at Hand and Microsurgery Associates begins with a thorough exam, including X-rays and MRIs, to evaluate your injury. Then, depending on the severity of your fracture, they can reset your bone and provide a splint or cast to stabilize your bone while it heals. In severe cases, the team surgically resets your bone and uses pins or wires to hold it in place while you recover.

In most cases, you need physical therapy to regain full use of your hand or arm after a fracture. Physical therapy helps you rebuild strength, flexibility, and range of motion so you can return to your regular activities.

Call Hand and Microsurgery Associates for expert treatment for fractures.

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