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My son broke his hand, any advice?
My son while playing football injured and twisted his hand which led to breakage of his forearm bone
Doctors have straightened his hand and plastered it but have been told to wait for a week and then check if recovery is there
If not then they have advised to put plates in his forearms
I have attached the before and after hand x-rays please guide and tell if natural recovery is possible as we are not in favour of surgery until necessary
Any guidance and advice would be helpful regarding how to manage the hand, what position should the hand be in.
Will he be able to fully recover or not?
Answers (4)
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At 16 years of age, forearm fractures can still heal very well, but the amount of bone remodelling is less than in a younger child. Therefore, the alignment after reduction is important. If the radius and ulna have been brought into a satisfactory position and that position remains stable in the plaster, surgery may not be required.
The usual approach is exactly what has been advised — reduction and plaster followed by a repeat X-ray after about 5–7 days to ensure that the fracture has not shifted. If the alignment is lost or remains unacceptable, fixation with plates/nails may then be recommended. Surgery should therefore be decided based on the fracture pattern and follow-up X-rays rather than simply because a fracture is present.
The arm/forearm position inside the plaster should not be changed at home. The position of rotation (palm up/down/neutral) depends on the level and pattern of the fracture and is chosen by the treating orthopaedic surgeon to maintain the reduction.
Next Steps
Repeat the X-ray as advised, preferably including the entire forearm with wrist and elbow, and have the post-reduction alignment reviewed by an orthopaedic surgeon. If you can upload the before- and after-reduction X-rays, the likelihood of successful plaster treatment can be assessed more specifically.
Health Tips
Keep the arm elevated for the first few days and encourage gentle finger movements. Seek urgent review if there is increasing pain despite medication, excessive swelling, numbness, inability to move the fingers, or fingers becoming pale/blue/cold. With appropriate treatment and maintained alignment, full or near-full recovery is expected in most adolescents, whether managed in plaster or surgically.
Answered
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