Hand fractures

[LisaG]

hello everyone,

i fractured my hand in 5 places 15th november 2007 in a motorcycle accident, told it was a very complex lot of fractures. I had k-wires all throught it which came out a week ago. I am doing all the hand therapy i am supposed to, has anyone had similar injuries? and what was the recovery time?

I am worried the tendons wont come back to normal after reading a lot about scar tissue etc. I should also ask, how far into rehab do they think more surgery might be needed for the tendons?

Hope it all made sense, im just a newbie here.

Ta

[LisaG]

well recovery is coming along ok. Still in quite a deal of pain, but my injuries were "severe trauma" injuries and recovery will be a long process.

I can almost get my fingers into a fist, which my surgeon said I should be able to do 3 months post op. (3 more weeks) so I hope I am on track. My little finger which was pretty severely injured is the most resistant.

Anyway, i want to get back on the bike as soon as i can, so doing all the rehab religeously (sp). I am hoping there will be no need for tendon surgery either.

[drock580]

Yeah, that sounds pretty gnarly. I don't know much about the fractures and stuff...I guess it depends on if the bones heal correctly, and are like before the injury. As far as the tendons go...I had tendon surgery, and would think it would depend on how much scar tissue formed and where. Were there actual injuries to the tendons themselves (lacerations)? My injury was for a cut tendon, and I have limited movement because scar tissue formed around the tendon and area where the surgeon cut....and the tendons move through sheaths that allow them to "glide" smoothly. I would think that if there isn't scar tissue impeding that movement, and the fractures heal up, your movement might come all the way back...I don't know, your doctor should be able to know about that.
But I would hope to avoid the tendon surgery, just because the surgery itself creates scar tissue. I asked about a second surgery to remove the scar tissue, but the surgeon said it would most likely create more, and advised against it..... Do you do massage therapy on it? That is a good way to break up scar tissue, but has to be done during the healing process, while the tissue is still forming.
I don't know, the hand is pretty complex.

[LisaG]

hi drock

yeah the little finger had tendon damage also, and that is the main finger im having trouble with, it suffered the most trauma, even though the ring finger had the more breaks in it.

at the moment, there has been a setback with the progress of the little finger, i have now, what they call "mullet finger" or baseball finger. The finger is bent at the last knuckle, hand therapists think the tendon is off the bone there, not running through the sheath as you described. So it is now in a splint, and after they straigtened it to the splint, the bloody pain is unbearable. Thank god for oxynorm!!!!

The ring finger and middle finger are now coming along really good, just have to work on the little one. Yes i have massage therapy too, christ that hurts just as much, and i do that to myself at home also, using arnica rub. It stinks like wool fat but apparently is good for deep bruising and scar tissue. Though who knows hey???

Anyway it's been a long process, and for such a moron act from someone else, it has changed my life thats for sure. The TAC have been great so far, touch wood!!!

[Zaynah]

hi

sorry to hear about your accident and injuries.
Fractures in the hand usually heals in 6weeks and then the body will break down and form new bone to get the bone back to it's max strength.. this could take up to a year. It is important to move every joint in the hand. Every finger joint. You must exercise taking your thumb over the palm to touch each finger tip, all the way to the pinky. This is very important. keep on doing the exercises. remember to stretch the muslces running over the wrist to the fingers. the tendons become shortened if you only move them at the wrist. Keep the elbow straight when you work on the wrist and fingers. You'll feel the pulling of the tendons. To help with the healing and regaining movement, use heat. apply hot packs or in hot water for 20minutes. this will increase blood supply to the hand, helping the bone to heal and giving blood to the mucles, tendons and nerves. after the heat, the exercises will be easier, as the joints get lubricated and the soft tissue structures soften. You can yourself, lightly massage in a circular pattern, over the scars and all the muscles in the hand and forearm. Keep faith! i've had wirst surgery 7weeks ago and am also battling getting my range of movement back, with pain and stiffness!

[LisaG]

hi

sorry to hear about your accident and injuries.
Fractures in the hand usually heals in 6weeks and then the body will break down and form new bone to get the bone back to it's max strength.. this could take up to a year. It is important to move every joint in the hand. Every finger joint. You must exercise taking your thumb over the palm to touch each finger tip, all the way to the pinky. This is very important. keep on doing the exercises. remember to stretch the muslces running over the wrist to the fingers. the tendons become shortened if you only move them at the wrist. Keep the elbow straight when you work on the wrist and fingers. You'll feel the pulling of the tendons. To help with the healing and regaining movement, use heat. apply hot packs or in hot water for 20minutes. this will increase blood supply to the hand, helping the bone to heal and giving blood to the mucles, tendons and nerves. after the heat, the exercises will be easier, as the joints get lubricated and the soft tissue structures soften. You can yourself, lightly massage in a circular pattern, over the scars and all the muscles in the hand and forearm. Keep faith! i've had wirst surgery 7weeks ago and am also battling getting my range of movement back, with pain and stiffness!

my surgeon said 3 months to be able to get a fist, then 6 months rehab. Time and time again they tell me my hand suffered "severe trauma". My surgeon telling the intern the other day, "oh yes, this hand, there were fractures everywhere". My hand therapists love showing others my pic of the broken hand itself. hehe.

I work on the hand lots over the course of the day. Rubbing arnica into it, heating it up then doing the stretching of the fingers and hand to loosen the tendons and get the scar tissue disolved. (if that's what you call it). Just a setback with the little finger now, having a splint on for 8 weeks, mallet finger. grrr...

I'm working very hard on getting it back to normal, just the strength gone. Can't push up on anything, like getting up from a chair etc. It will come I guess...

[LisaG]

More updates on my injury.

It's been 7 months since my accident, I had an appt with the surgeon yesterday. Unfortunately, due to my little finger not healing as it should, I need to go back in for more surgery.

I tuned out as soon as he told me it was full anesthetic.

I would like to know if anyone has any advice on this sort of surgery - he needs to remove scar tissue from around the tendons/sheath so my finger can get more movement. I have heard of people having this before, and my surgeon said, with the severe injury this finger got, it is not uncommon scar tissue builds up and prevents movement of the tendon.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Lisa