Author Topic: Something broken in hand ?  (Read 6619 times)

rob

Something broken in hand ?
« on: 30 October, 2018, 03:35:42 pm »
I had an off just under 3 weeks ago landing on my right side.  The majority of the issues have subsided but I am left with a painful wrist/hand.

The day after the accident I went to A&E and was told it was a sprain (by 2 people).  I’m now some time down the line but still in a lot of pain.  I did a 200k on Saturday but couldn’t ride out of the saddle.  The pain is mostly along the back of the hand and hurts when braking, opening doors, undoing screw caps, etc.   The pain is in the wrong place for a scaphoid break.   I consulted a web doctor and he told me to go back and get x-rayed, big we’re on holiday at the moment.   

I’ve managed to book an early boat back and will get checked out on Friday morning.

Anyone had anything similar ?

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #1 on: 30 October, 2018, 03:43:04 pm »
A GP friend was knocked off his bike and only by his insistence that something 'wasn't right' was the underlying problem picked up.

It involved a ligament he'd never even heard of which, if left unattached, would have resulted in permanent instability of the hand in about five years.

His take away from that was that hands are complex things and the best person to diagnose a hand problem is, surprise surprise, a specialist
Rust never sleeps

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #2 on: 30 October, 2018, 06:52:20 pm »
I think that's right.

You need an expert to listen, look, see, feel and image your hand.

FWIW my partner had wrist pain after a forced off many years ago. It was diagnosed a a problem with the the triangular ligament by the consultant he saw, I don't think he had any specific treatment.

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #3 on: 30 October, 2018, 08:07:28 pm »
3 Weeks ago? if it isn't getting better there's summat not right.

Adding to panoply of potential injuries, I managed to fracture a bone in my palm once. nothing that could be done, but only picked up some weeks after when I whinged.

gibbo

  • Riding for fun, cake and beer.
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Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #4 on: 31 October, 2018, 09:55:56 am »
I'm no expert in the medical sense but have broken my left radius, right scaphoid and right carpal(s). All of these were initially put down to sprains but after several weeks of continued pain, a hospital revisit and subsequent x-ray they were deemed to be broken after all. Each time I was told that analysis of the x-rays are difficult early on after the break because of the initial swelling.

My last break, the radius, in fairness they did suspect to be broken so they actually did a MRI scan to verify but again didn't do it immediately and waited a few days for the swelling to go down.

For what it's worth I'd go back for a second opinion.

Gibbo.

Oaky

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Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #5 on: 31 October, 2018, 10:10:23 am »
I had an off where I fractured my triquetrum, which caused very similar symptoms. 

Treatment choice was a cast or a wrist splint.  I opted for the latter.  I was doing light cycling maybe a month after and first "proper" ride 7 or 8 weeks later.  I think there was still some low-level discomfort at that time.
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Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #6 on: 31 October, 2018, 10:31:05 am »
My GP mate had another fracture experience, this time a foot as a result of a footballing injury.

He told A&E that he thought he had broken his second meta-tarsal. The A&E doc pinned up the x-rays and declared that there was no fracture there. He was right. The fracture was in the third metatarsal, but he didn't spot that on a first pass.

Treatment determined and a follow up visit to the fracture clinic was lined up.

Fracture clinic x-ray (a week later) showed no fractures at all, and Doc there could not be convinced otherwise, despite the amount of bruising and the obvious tenderness of the injury. (My mate's view is that they view the x-rays first and then devise a hypothesis to fit the x-ray, rather than the other way round.)

Outcome from that was that it would be fine in a week or two.

Mate not happy with that and went for a second opinion with a foot specialist. MRI scan revealed that both second and third metatarsals were broken.

Moral of story - get a second opinion from a specialist.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #7 on: 31 October, 2018, 04:04:07 pm »
A few years ago our oldest bent her finger backwards when she failed to catch a netball. GP is over the road and saw her as we walked in, saying he thought might well be fractured and to go for an x-ray. That was clear, so 3 days later she sat her grade 4 piano (distinction). A week later we had a letter from the hospital advising that a second review of the imaging revealed a fracture. Hey ho, she’s lived out on that one for a few year!

Mike

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #8 on: 31 October, 2018, 04:33:12 pm »
I would be concerned about a possible volar plate injury to a finger that had been forcibly 'bent back' but I'm no hand expert and never saw your daughter.

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #9 on: 31 October, 2018, 05:20:06 pm »
I would be concerned about a possible volar plate injury to a finger that had been forcibly 'bent back' but I'm no hand expert and never saw your daughter.

Never heard of that one. It’s a few years ago, but early arthritis wouldn’t be good given she wants to be a musician.

I’ll look it up thanks!

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #10 on: 31 October, 2018, 05:25:42 pm »
The volar plate is a fairly critical structure on the palmar aspect of proximal interphalangeal joint. It prevents the joint bending back and dislocating, while allowing smooth flexion.

rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #11 on: 02 November, 2018, 12:49:28 pm »
Fractured scaphoid.   There you go.

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #12 on: 02 November, 2018, 12:52:23 pm »
Oooo. And that needs fixing. Another friend ignored that for six months and now he needs a bone graft off his hip. I think you have six weeks to get it fixed or the broken bit dies.
Rust never sleeps

rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #13 on: 02 November, 2018, 01:05:22 pm »
Just a fracture and it’s starting to heal already, hence a splint and not plastered.

Back to the fracture clinic on the 14th.   Turbo work only for a while, at least.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #14 on: 02 November, 2018, 01:58:11 pm »
Hope you mend well, rob!

There are two rows of little carpal bones in the wrist. The scaphoid is in both and is the only rigid 'bridge' between the 'front' and 'back' rows, so it tends to crack  if there's excessive shear between these rows.

To complicate matters, it has a rather fragile blood supply and good circulation is needed to ensure healing. A fracture can sever the vessel that supplies the bone, resulting in 'death' of a fragment.

But yours is apparently healing, which is good news.

I am still paranoid about the scaphoid, as I posted on Facebook...

woollypigs

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Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #15 on: 02 November, 2018, 02:32:16 pm »
ermm something wrong with the matrix .... cause no one asked how is the bike ! :)


GWS
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #16 on: 02 November, 2018, 02:53:31 pm »
Rob was too restrained to answer questions about the offending dog's wellbeing elsewhere.

Canine encounters seldom damage bikes much...

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #17 on: 02 November, 2018, 06:55:56 pm »
ermm something wrong with the matrix .... cause no one asked how is the bike ! :)


And given the medical knowledge, and a discussion of the wrist and hand, I'm surprised noone's mentioned some lovers try positions that they can't handle...

Get well soon Rob!

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #18 on: 02 November, 2018, 07:17:46 pm »
The bike needed the front wheel trued.  New Brooks has a scrape and the bad tape needs a patch.

From general reading I suspect PBP will be fine.  I’m not so sure about goals for earlier 2019.

QG - filth....

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #19 on: 02 November, 2018, 07:26:14 pm »
The bike needed the front wheel trued.  New Brooks has a scrape and the bad tape needs a patch.

From general reading I suspect PBP will be fine.  I’m not so sure about goals for earlier 2019.

Eep! Hope you're healed enough for RatN!

Quote

QG - filth....

Observation or request?

Find me a better way of remembering the bones in the wrist...

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #20 on: 02 November, 2018, 08:00:06 pm »
I’m going to wait and see what my recovery looks like.

I wouldn’t want to turn up at a race not able to give it everything, particularly if it includes time away from home and using up annual leave.

Wowbagger

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Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #21 on: 02 November, 2018, 08:26:16 pm »
A few years ago our oldest bent her finger backwards when she failed to catch a netball. GP is over the road and saw her as we walked in, saying he thought might well be fractured and to go for an x-ray. That was clear, so 3 days later she sat her grade 4 piano (distinction). A week later we had a letter from the hospital advising that a second review of the imaging revealed a fracture. Hey ho, she’s lived out on that one for a few year!

Mike

That's very interesting.

I suffer from "palindromic" rheumatism, a subdivision of rheumatoid arthritis. Most days I'm fine (methotrexate is a wonderful drug) but every so often I get pain in the smaller joints. These days it's almost exclusively in my hands and wrists.

I have found that swollen, painful fingers are scarcely any impediment to piano playing, but they hurt like hell when trying to lift a kettle. I had some pain and swelling in my left wrist earlier in the week, and piano playing did make that hurt.
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rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #22 on: 05 November, 2018, 08:53:29 pm »
Bit more investigation work ongoing.  Hand in a splint.   Bit of turbo training going on.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #23 on: 05 November, 2018, 10:28:00 pm »
Hope it isn't too painful and that they find out soon what the problem is.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

rob

Re: Something broken in hand ?
« Reply #24 on: 07 November, 2018, 02:43:40 pm »
I have my MRI on a DVD ROM.   No idea what I'm looking at but it's distracting us all from work for a while.