Fractured scaphoid - how long to heal?
Discussion
Mobile Chicane said:
Aargh!
Update: the scaphoid isn't fractured - or at least an immediate X-ray plus another 10 days later showed no sign of it - the current diagnosis is a bad sprain. Six weeks on it is much, much better, the bruising has gone and I can drive (with a splint on).
However I still don't have the full range of movement in my thumb, and there is a hard swollen area approximately over where the scaphoid is.
Could this be a dislocation? Or just bruising deep in the joint restricting movement and causing swelling? Would a dislocation be evident on the X-rays, even if the Drs weren't specifically looking for this?
Any advice would be much appreciated, since I'd rather not have to go back and bother A&E unnecessarily.
Thanks.
[NB: Since it had improved greatly in a month, I unfortunately discharged myself from the 'follow-up' system thinking the problem had been solved. To 'get back in' will involve seeing my GP - a tortuous process.]
It's unlikely to be dislocated, your xrays will have been looked at by loads of different people and a dislocation would have been spotted. Have you been wearing the splint for the past 8 weeks? If so, the pain and reduced movement is probably due to this, you need to get the splint off and start using your hand. You need to be exercising your thumb (hopefully the fracture clinic gave you some exercises)Update: the scaphoid isn't fractured - or at least an immediate X-ray plus another 10 days later showed no sign of it - the current diagnosis is a bad sprain. Six weeks on it is much, much better, the bruising has gone and I can drive (with a splint on).
However I still don't have the full range of movement in my thumb, and there is a hard swollen area approximately over where the scaphoid is.
Could this be a dislocation? Or just bruising deep in the joint restricting movement and causing swelling? Would a dislocation be evident on the X-rays, even if the Drs weren't specifically looking for this?
Any advice would be much appreciated, since I'd rather not have to go back and bother A&E unnecessarily.
Thanks.
[NB: Since it had improved greatly in a month, I unfortunately discharged myself from the 'follow-up' system thinking the problem had been solved. To 'get back in' will involve seeing my GP - a tortuous process.]
Mobile Chicane said:
Could this be a dislocation? Or just bruising deep in the joint restricting movement and causing swelling? Would a dislocation be evident on the X-rays, even if the Drs weren't specifically looking for this?
No, yes or ligaments, yes - they'd have looked very closely at the xrays.Sorry, the best plan is => GP => physio.
I broke my left scaphoid when I was knocked off a bike by a collision with a deer. It took ages (as in over a year) to be fully healed so that it didn't twinge when climbing or doing press-ups.
Amusingly, I turned up at a TVR dealer while my wrist was still in a cast and they were quite happy to let me test drive a Cerbera
Amusingly, I turned up at a TVR dealer while my wrist was still in a cast and they were quite happy to let me test drive a Cerbera
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