“I fractured my hand while playing in my league. Would I need surgery?”
I believe I fractured my hand while playing football and I haven't had it looked at yet. But I'm in a lot of pain. Do fractures always require surgery?
6 Answers
Most fractures do not require surgery to heal correctly but they all need protection. Often times players may return to their sport in a protective padded cast. It has to be stayed to evaluate the need for surgery and should ideally be done as soon as reasonably possible
A lot of hand fractures can be treated without surgery and simple casting. Would be best to get an X-ray done by an Orthopedist to determine if anything needs to be done based on angles and to ensure the angulations don’t get worse uncasted.
Not all breaks require surgery. In fact only breaks where the rubbing surfaces are out of position or if the bone is broken in such a way that if it healed (in a bad position) would impair function are reasons to operate. An even more rare reason to operate is if the injured bone is prone to not heal at all (scaphoid). Sometimes the injury may look like a break to the eye, but in fact it is a torn ligament or a dislocated joint. Dislocations require corrective manipulation and often performed in the office or it may require a surgery if it is severe. Most ligament injuries can heal with proper splinting. An exam with proper Xrays during a simple office visit is my recommendation. The appropriate early intervention is always better than a late salvage correction.
No, but you would need to have an X-ray to determine the type of treatment that would be best for your fracture.
No, they don't always require surgery. Surgery is only used when we need to move the fracture pieces back together and hold them there. If the pieces are not too far apart, the fracture can often be treated just with a cast for about 4 weeks.
No, fractures do not always require surgery. If the hand fracture is well aligned, it will require some immobilization and activity modification. However, if the fracture is displaced (pieces separated by more than a couple millimeters) or if there is rotational or angular deformity, the fracture may require surgical intervention. You need to start with an x-ray to determine location and severity of the fracture.
