How painful is a metacarpal fracture?
How painful is a metacarpal fracture?
When you’ve fractured a metacarpal bone, you will probably have pain when you try to form a fist, and you may also find that your fingers are stiff. Other symptoms that can suggest that you’ve suffered a metacarpal fracture include: Immediate pain in the hand.
How long does a metacarpal fracture hurt?
Metacarpal Fracture Symptoms Patients typically notice stiffness of the fingers and pain when trying to form a fist. Symptoms will gradually improve as healing takes place. Most metacarpal fractures fully heal in about 10 weeks, therefore it’s normal to have some stiffness and swelling for that length of time.
How long does a 4th metacarpal take to heal?
Most of the healing happens between three to six weeks but can take several months for your full symptoms to settle completely. In addition, once the fracture has healed you may have a permanent ‘bump’ where the bone was fractured.
How long does it take for a broken 4th metacarpal to heal?
Metacarpal fractures usually take about six to eight weeks to heal. You’ll probably have to wear a splint as part of your treatment. It covers part of your fingers and both sides of your hand and wrist, and you’ll most likely wear it for around three weeks. You may also undergo physical therapy.
How do you sleep with a broken hand?
Invest in a specialized pillow, like a body pillow, for elevation—keeping the broken bone above your heart prevents blood from pooling and causing swelling. Try sleeping on your back first while propped up on a few pillows. If that doesn’t work, slowly adjust yourself to a side position if possible.
Why is my fracture pain getting worse?
Delayed Union. When a bone fracture is untreated, it can result in either a nonunion or a delayed union. In the former case, the bone doesn’t heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.
Can you move your finger with a broken metacarpal?
Their hand will be very painful, maximally so over the specific metacarpal bone that is fractured. There will be swelling, often a considerable amount, as well as bruising directly over the injury. They may have difficulty moving the fingers due to the amount of pain from the fracture.