Hand Fracture
Description
A fracture is a broken bone. There are 27 bones in the hand and fractures are a common injury. If there is a loss of alignment with the fracture the bones will be put back in place and splinted. Sometimes surgery is needed to realign the bones and to place a screw or wire to stabilize the bones while they heal. Severe fractures may have an associated tendon, nerve or blood vessel injury. If the broken bone punctures the skin (open fracture) antibiotics will be needed to prevent an infection of the bone (osteomyelitis).
Symptoms
Pain, swelling, bruising of the skin, a deformity of the hand, pain with movement, numbness of the fingers, inability to move the hand.
Tests
A history and physical exam will be done. An xray will confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Some fractures can be treated by splinting the hand. Badly fractured hands may need surgery to realign the bones or to repair damaged tendons, nerves or blood vessels. Sometimes a wire or screw must be placed to stabilize the bone while it heals. OTC pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve) can be used. Narcotic pain medications may be prescribed as well including: hydocodone and acetaminophen (Vicodin, Lortab), tramadol and acetaminophen (Ultram), or oxycodone and acetaminophen (Endocet, Percocet). If the bone punctures the skin the injury will need to be cleaned very well and antibiotics may be given to prevent an infection.
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