Fractured Scaphoid (wrist bone)

Just wondering if anyone has had the bad luck to end up with a fractured scaphoid and how they went about it.

Long story short I've ended up with the option of getting surgery; which involves a bone graft taken from the radius bone and inserted between the fracture and a screw inserted to compress the bone. This involves 1 month no work followed by 3 months light work (no kiting for at least 4 months). + a bill of about 4k, im not privately health insured, didnt have the foresight (I'm 21).

Surgeon believes this to be a 70/80% chance of being successful.

Or.

Arm/ wrist in a splint for 'several' months. No heavy lifting.

50/50 chance of bone healing.

Followed by a stiff wrist and some hand therapy.

Although this may not work at all and I'd have to get the surgery anyway.

For me, I'd prefer to get back on the water ASAP and surgery may be the best but I'm also a fan of the body doing it's thing.

Anyone have any ideas? Even other circumstances where you've chosen to avoid surgery I'd like to know about.

Cheers,

Max

Badly broke mine years ago. Had a screw inserted and was in a cast for 3 months. I was a keen wake boarder back then and my doctor advised me to keep doing it one month after the operation as the blood flow in this area is poor which creates a lot of problems with the healing process. Gripping the bar with my four fingers helped pump blood through the area a lot better hence why he was keen for me to keep doing it. I got a cast made out of a special plastic and could remove it after getting it wet with some help of course.
After 3 months got the cast off and had the X-ray, went off to see the Doc and he stood back looking at the X-ray and admired his work. I asked him was it that bad and his reply was " Hell yeah, broken in six pieces and the tendons were a bloody mess". "If you went through public they would have just fused your wrist it was that bad".
20 years on and it is working fine just gets a bit sore in the cold weather. Screw was removed 1 year later.
Keep that blood flowing through that joint by gripping or squeezing exercises while your arm is in the cast.
sounds as though yours is a descent brake as well, especially getting a bone graft. Me personally you have better odds with the operation, 4K seems a lot but how much do you think your wrist is worth to work properly again.....don't think you can put a price on that. Good luck and do everything you can to get that little s&$t of a bone healed properly.

Falling over, landing with your hands out in front is how you do it -- motorbikes, snowboarding etc. Slow to heal due to, as all note, poor blood flow.

I woudlnt have have thought just a fracture would need surgery...? Pin, maybe, to stop it shifting if it's really broken.

I did my wrist big time in 2009, end of summer, when I was learning... "ooh overpowered... just one more run then I'll pack it in"
Had to have surgery, but still have the plate in. Pin was removed a few months after, was kiting and motor biking again in the spring. I'd say it took a year to be pain free at extremes of movement and now it's 100%.

I did mine years ago playing football. After the given amount of time in a cast and an xray that showed it had healed I went to my Dr at the time and he went to cut the cast off. He didnt cut the cast all the way off my thumb and when he gave the cast a pull off he rebroke it. I yelled first at the pain and then at the thought of what he had done. He disagreed originally that he had rebroken but another xray proved it.

Obviously he was feeling pretty bad and pretty negligent. After several more weeks where it was obvious it was nt healing properly, he arranged an "express" appointment at the specialist hand clinic at a capital city Hospital.

I had a pin/bolt which looks a bit like a dumbell inserted. From memory I think it is called a Herbert screw after the Dr who invented it. It was quite new at the time. It healed up fine. If I punch with that hand I get a pain through the area but not too bad. Had a mate who did his roughly the same time. He also ended up having to have surgery and he only ended up with about 50% movement.

If you do need to have surgery make sure you get some good recommendations.

Broke mine trying to be superman dirt bike riding.
What the others are saying is that blood flow in that area in naturally not good. So takes longer to heal.
I went with plastic moulded with Velcro brace. It offers great support and comes off easily for showering.
But each case is different so you have to do what you feel is right.

Just a tip for the future for anyone with injuries. Someone i know stuffed up a kiteloop and popped his acl. First thing he did was get private health insurance and personal income protection when he got home. 2 days after went to physio and paid cash and used a mates name. Physio was **** and advised him swelling due to impact and jarring. Anyway soon after went to doctor after he slipped and fell while running that morning ;). Got referal for scan and specialised. Anyway long story short all covered and private med specialist and the whole lot. Understand if you break your leg this might not be practical!

Scaphoid fracture is actually one of the more serious breaks you can have. As people have pointed out, it can be very hard to fix and often it will break again. It's a very common thing to happen to Skateboarders and a lot of them struggle with it for a long time. I'm no doctor, I would find a proper specialist or two and get their advice, every break is different.

All the best and hope you heal up soon!

go to a public hospital and hang to your money. the medical advice is just as good and sometimes better. see how long the wait would be before they can do whatever procedure is required and then decide whether to pay or wait.

chipped mine and the bit was rough and sawed away at my tendon. has been a long road, that being said i kited gnarloo 6 weeks after surgery with a neoprene brace.
that being said was a good 12 months before i could do things like pushups and now just getting back into surfing.
cost me a bomb, but i got the best hand surgeon in WA. look around and make sure the guy knows his stuff.
after surgery was sore in more than scafoid and tendon. they have to move ligaments and bits n bobs to get in there, so both sides of wrist/hand end up sore and need rehab. but you are young and if you look after it should come good.
i almost thought my game was over, but has come good with a bit of pain occasionally.
good luck man.

Hey,

Just thought I'd let ya know that after 6 weeks its fixed itself!

Doctor said it was unusual but I've avoided surgery. Just need a splint for high load activities for another month or two.

@Hausey can I please grab the name of that Icelandic splint company?

Cheers for all the advice yeww see you on the water.

Sweet, thanks mate!

I'll check it out. I have an appointment with a hand therapist and wouldnt mind something that's waterproof so I can get out there.

I'll mention that brand to her