Fractures and Dislocations

Millions of people injure their wrist, hand, or arm each year, many of which require medical attention and even surgery to fix the issue. Because we use our hands every day, and because our hands are typically used to break our falls, this area of the body is particular vulnerable to fractures and dislocations. Trauma to the hand and wrist typically happens during accidents (slip and fall, car collision, etc…) or repeated movements (like with boxing or working with heavy machinery), and certain medical conditions such as osteoporosis can weaken the joint area, making it easier to break. Many broken arm, wrist, and hand injuries we treat here in Ogden are fractures or dislocations:

• Fracture
• Excess pressure, either directly or indirectly applied, to the bone results in a break
• Dislocation
• A separation of two bones where they meet at a joint, resulting in bones no longer in their normal position

In both fractures and dislocations to the arm, hand, or wrist, symptoms we often see in Ogden include: pain (typically sudden or sharp), swelling, tenderness, bruising, numbness/tingling, abnormal appearance, and loss of range of motion.

In the hand and wrist area, two common broken bone injuries we see in Ogden are:

• Distal radius fracture
• A break of the radius (the larger of the two bones in the forearm) near the wrist (distal end)
• Depending on the direction the bones break, the injury is classified and treated differently
• Most common cause is by falling onto an outstretched arm
• Wrist fracture
• A break occurs anywhere in the 8 bones of the wrist, or the two connecting bones of the arm (radius and ulna).
• Severe and sudden pressure (like a fall) can shatter the small bones of the wrist, or break the connecting bones
• Some wrist fractures require surgery, others can be reset and casted

If you have suffered injury to your arm, hand, or wrist area, make sure you seek medical attention right away. After immediate medical treatment, you should contact Dr. Richards who has experience healing broken arm, hands and wrists fractures and dislocations for Ogden patients. Get in touch with our office when you need the best Ogdenbroken arm, hand, and wrist doctor to get you on the path to healing your fracture or dislocation!