Hand Fractures
The metacarpals are the long bones in the hand that connect the wrist to the fingers, forming the palm; these are the bones that are fractured during a ‘hand’ fracture.
At Orthotics Plus, hand fractures account for approximately 10-15% of the fractures we see, making them a prevalent upper limb fracture, behind wrist and forearm fractures.
We provide support for hand fractures, providing custom care to restore hand function and help you return to normality.
If you have sustained a hand fracture, then please first see emergency support, then visit one of our Melbourne clinics for further treatment.
How Hand Fractures Commonly Occur
Hand fractures commonly occur due to direct trauma to the hand. This includes scenarios such as:
- Direct impact, such as sporting injuries, boxing activities, or being struck by an object
- Twisting or rotational injuries, which are less common
Interestingly, hand fractures are not commonly caused by falls (these typically impact the wrist).
Another interesting point is that hand fractures are typically in isolation, meaning that the wrist is often undamaged during the injury.
After You Have Visited Emergency: Reviewing Your X-Ray
After sustaining an injury, you will visit emergency support for immediate care, who typically also perform an X-Ray.
Read our general fractures page for more information. We will receive your x-ray and review
- Confirmation of a fracture
- Which metacarpal(s) is it
- Location of the fracture site (i.e. shaft/neck)
- Whether it is displaced or not
- Which direction is the displacement
This information allows us to cast the fracture site at the correct angle, and promote healing. If a cast is not fitted with this in mind, it can be detrimental to the patient outcomes.
Understanding Displacement in the Context of Hand Fractures
Displacement in a fracture means the broken bones are not perfectly aligned—there may be some angulation or misalignment between the two fractured parts.
When it comes to metacarpal fractures – if there is significant displacement, then there is a high probability that they are not treated by our acute care services, and would be referred straight to surgery.
However, metacarpal bones are unique because they can heal well even with some degree of displacement. This is due to their structure and function and range of motion at the fingers which allows the hand to remain functional despite minor irregularities.
Therefore, some displaced metacarpal fractures may still be treated conservatively without surgery, provided the alignment is within acceptable limits for proper healing and functionality.
Referring to Surgeons (If Necessary)
More often than not, a patient has visited emergency, or some other form of immediate support – possibly an ambulance/gp – where the decision for surgical intervention has been decided before referring to Orthotics Plus.
If a patient has been referred to Orthotics Plus, and after reviewing their case and identifying they need surgery, we can make that referral.
When reviewing the x-ray, if we see unusual ‘scissoring’ appearance of the fingers overlapping each other or movements cause excess pain, this is an indication the injury is more serious than what was once thought.
We know Orthopedic/hand surgeons around Melbourne that you can be referred to.
Treatment of Hand Fractures
The ideal treatment timeline is as follows
- Day 1 – sustain fracture, seek emergency support, get x-ray, receive temporary back slab support, receive referrals to other supports. Understand the definitive treatment pathway. If that is surgery, then our involvement stops here, otherwise:
- Day 1 or 2 – visit Orthotics Plus. Receive a uniquely molded splint the same-day. We immobilise the wrist and closest 2 fingers to fracture site. 45 min appointment.
- Wear a splint for 4-6 weeks (not a cast).
- Visit Orthotics Plus for reviews, as suggested by our team. The main agenda is to monitor swelling initially, as it can impact the fit of the splint, then monitoring the healing.
- Remove splint after 4-6 weeks.
Please view our splints page to learn more. It should be noted that the location of the fracture does not change the treatment type, only the fitting of the splint.
Why Choose Orthotics Plus for Fracture Management?
We look forward to supporting you!
- We have many clinic locations in Melbourne
- We are Australian owned and operated
- We are experienced in fracture care for excess of 10 years
- We are readily contactable and have after-hours services where necessary
Visit our clinic locations page to get in touch.
FAQ
Our primary responsibility is to ensure the splint fits correctly throughout the healing process. Initially, patients may experience significant swelling in the hand, so the splint might need to be reheated and remolded about a week or two after it’s applied. We always inform the patient in advance that adjustments may be necessary.
Patients typically follow up with their GP to monitor the healing progress. After four to six weeks, they gradually transition out of the splint as healing allows.
You wear the splint 24/7 except for showering.
The splint can be removed via Velco straps.
In our experience, the majority of patients return to full function.