Broken wrist

Personal injury and broken wrists

Wrists are made up of the radius and ulna, and 8 smaller bones. The bones are aligned in such a manner, with several large and several small joints, so as to allow a wide range of movement.
The radius is the most common wrist bone to be broken. When broken, there is pain, swelling, and an inability or decreased ability to use the hand and wrist. The wrist may even appear crooked or deformed.
Broken wrists are typically treated with a plaster cast to ensure that the broken bone(s) heal in the correct alignment. The cast also provides protection against small knocks and accidental pressure which would be very painful for the person who suffered the personal injury. If the broken wrist is very serious, in some cases surgery may also be necessary.

Broken wrist break types

There are several types of broken wrist, which are a direct result of the type of impact and the amount of forces the impact involves.

The most common type of broken wrist is a simple fracture. This is where the bone fully breaks but does not pierce the skin. While there is less visual evidence, the symptoms of this personal injury are easily identifiable. There will be large amounts of worsening pain, severe swelling, bruising, and a lack of ability to bear weight.

An impacted fracture is a personal injury that is most commonly caused by falling from a great height. This is where the end of one bone is forced into another.

A spiral fracture is a break that is around the bone. Sporting injuries are the most common cause of this type of personal injury, because of the twisting motion that some sports require.

A comminuted fracture is a personal injury where a bone is broken into fragments. It is also known as a compression fracture. This type of injury most commonly occurs when large forces are involved with the impact. It is the most common type of personal injury fracture in road traffic accidents because of the large forces motor

Serious Law have a great deal of experience in both the treatment and personal injury compensation of broken wrists. If you would like to investigate the possibility of a personal injury claim, or to ensure you are receiving the correct level of rehabilitation to ensure your personal injury recovers appropriately, then visit our > Contact Us page for more information.
 

Broken wrist repair

The recovery time for broken bones completely depends on the type of break, its severity, and other factors such as your age. As a basic guideline, a non-complex simple fracture will take around 8 week to repair. After these 8 weeks it will still be relatively week however, and should be cared for until it has fully recovered its strength.

Regardless of these variables there are four clear stages that are undergone during the healing process. A haematoma is initially created by the blood vessels in the bone. A cartilage callus then forms along the haematoma (nature’s splint). A bony callus then eventually replaces the cartilage. For the final stage, a bony callus then forms a permanent patch on the fracture.

Broken wrist next steps

If you would like to investigate whether you may have a personal injury compensation claim from a broken wrist, please call 0800 035 15 65 or visit our> Contact Us page for further information.