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This article was co-written by Diana Lee, MD. Dr. Diana Lee is a family doctor in California. She received her MD from Georgetown University in 2015. Most recently, she completed a research program in ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests are diverse and include: cataract surgery, dry eye, thyroid disease, retinoblastoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 51,285 times.
A wrist sprain is a condition in which the ligaments in the wrist become overstretched and tear (partially or completely). In contrast, a wrist fracture means that one of the wrist bones is broken. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a wrist sprain and a wrist fracture, as both injuries have similar symptoms and are caused by similar injuries – falling or bumping the wrist. hit directly. [1] X Research Source In fact, wrist fractures very often include wrist sprains. Accurate identification of these two injuries requires a medical diagnosis (by X-ray), but sometimes you can also differentiate between a sprain and a wrist fracture at home before going to the hospital. or medical facility.
Steps
Diagnosis of wrist sprains
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Try wrist movements and evaluate. Wrist sprains can occur to many degrees, depending on the stretching or tearing of one or more ligaments. In the case of a mild (grade 1) wrist sprain, the ligaments are stretched but not significantly torn; moderate cases (grade 2) indicate significant ligament tears (up to 50% of fibers) and some loss of function; Severe sprain (grade 3) indicates more severe ligament tear or complete rupture. [2] X Source of Research Thus, you can still have relatively normal wrist movement (despite pain) if you have a grade 1 and 2 sprain. Grade 3 sprains often lead to instability. limited range of motion (excessive range of motion), because the ligaments attached to the wrist bones are completely broken.
- In general, only some grade 2 wrist sprains and all grade 3 cases require medical attention. All first-degree and most second-degree wrist sprains can be treated at home.
- A third-degree wrist sprain can include a break in the bone, when a ligament breaks away from the bone and pulls a small piece of bone with it. [3] X Research Sources
- The most commonly stretched wrist ligament is the scapho-lunate ligament, which connects the clavicle and lunate. [4] X Research Sources
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Determine the type of pain. Wrist sprains also vary widely in extent and pattern of pain. [5] X Sources of study Grade 1 wrist sprains cause mild pain, pain often described as aching and possibly sharp pain with movement. Grade 2 sprains range from moderate to severe pain, depending on the extent of the ligament tear; pain level is higher than grade 1 and sometimes sharp pain because of more swelling. It may seem paradoxical that a 3rd degree sprain is usually less painful initially than a 2nd degree because the ligament is completely broken and doesn’t irritate the surrounding nerves as much. However, a grade 3 sprain will begin to sting as the swelling increases.
- A 3rd degree sprain accompanied by a broken bone causes immediate severe pain, a sharp, throbbing pain.
- Sprains cause the most pain with movement; Symptoms usually improve if kept immobile.
- In general, you need to see a doctor right away if your wrist is very painful and difficult to move.
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Apply ice and observe the reaction. Sprains of all degrees respond well to ice or cold therapy by reducing swelling and numbing surrounding nerves that cause pain. [6] X Source of Research Ice therapy is particularly important in grade 2 and 3 wrist sprains because of increased swelling around the injury site. I easier. In contrast, applying ice to a wrist fracture may also help relieve pain and reduce swelling, but symptoms often return after the effect wears off. Thus, in general, cold therapy is more effective in wrist sprains than most fractures.
- The more severe the sprain, the more swollen the wound will cause the pain to swell.
- Fractures often respond to (long-term) cryotherapy better than severe fractures that require medical attention.
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Check for bruising the next day. Note that swelling is not the same as bruising. [7] X Source of Study Bruising is caused by blood spilling from small arteries or veins into tissues. A first-degree sprain doesn’t usually cause bruising, unless the impact is so strong that it ruptures blood vessels under the skin. Grade 2 sprains are often accompanied by swelling, but may not be as much bruising – this depends on how the injury occurred. Grade 3 sprains cause a lot of swelling and often significant bruising because the injury to the ligament is often severe enough to rupture or damage surrounding blood vessels.
- The swelling doesn’t discolor the skin much, except for the redness caused by the heat.
- Bruising that turns the skin dark blue is usually caused by blood seeping into the tissues just below the surface of the skin. As blood dissolves and withdraws from these tissues, the bruise also changes color (light blue and eventually yellowish).
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Monitor progress after a few days. Basically, all grade 1 wrist sprains and some grade 2 cases will improve significantly after a few days, especially when the wound is kept immobilized and cold applied. [8] X Research Sources Thus, if your wrist appears to be getting better, has no significant swelling, and is able to move without pain, no medical intervention is needed. If the sprain is more severe (grade 2) but feels much better after a few days (even though the swelling and pain is still there), you may need to wait a little longer to heal. However, cases where the wound does not improve much or worsens after a few days requires medical examination as soon as possible.
- Grade 1 and some grade 2 sprains heal fairly quickly (1 to 2 weeks), while grade 3 sprains (especially when the bone is broken) have the longest recovery time (sometimes up to several months). .
- Fractures can also heal fairly quickly (several weeks), whereas serious fractures can take months or more, depending on surgery.
Diagnosis of wrist fracture
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Observe for deviation or curvature. The types of accidents or injuries that cause wrist sprains can also cause wrist fractures. In general, the larger and stronger the bone, the less likely it is to break through trauma – stretching and tearing ligaments instead. However, if the bone is broken, there is usually a misalignment or curvature. [9] X Reliable Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source The eight bones of the wrist are quite small, so misalignment and curvature of the wrist can be difficult (or impossible) to recognize, especially in the case of a fracture, However, more severe fractures are easier to spot.
- The long bone in the wrist that is most commonly broken is the radial bone, which is the forearm bone attached to the small bones in the wrist. [10] X Research Source
- The most commonly broken wrist bone is the clavicle; This is usually less likely to cause significant wrist deformity. [11] X Research Source
- When a bone breaks through the skin and comes out, it is called an open fracture.
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Determine the type of pain. The degree and type of pain from a wrist fracture also depends on the severity of the injury, but is usually described as sharp pain with movement and aching pain when immobilized. The pain of a wrist fracture often increases when grasping or squeezing the hand; This condition does not usually occur with a sprain. [12] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source Compared with sprains, wrist fractures are more likely to cause symptoms in the hand, such as stiffness, numbness, or inability to move the fingers, due to many more likely to have nerve injury/damage. [13] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source There is also a crackling sound when moving a broken wrist; This does not happen in the case of a wrist sprain.
- The pain of a wrist fracture is often (but not always) followed by a “crack”. In contrast, only a third-degree sprain produces a similar sound or sensation, and sometimes a “pop” sound when the ligament is ruptured.
- In general, pain from a wrist fracture increases at night, while pain from a sprain is stable and does not throb during the night if the wrist is kept immobilized.
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Watch to see if symptoms get worse the next day. As mentioned above, mild to moderate sprains can be completely relieved in a day or two with rest and cold compresses, but this is not the case with fractures. [14] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source In addition to fractures, which can be an exception, most broken bones take significantly longer to heal than sprains. As such, a few days of ice and rest do not do much to help relieve symptoms in most fractures. In some cases, you may feel worse once your body has passed the initial “shock” of the injury.
- If a broken bone in the wrist pierces the skin, the risk of infection and massive blood loss is very high. You need to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- A broken bone in the wrist can completely cut off blood flow to the hand. Swelling caused by bleeding is known as “compression syndrome” and is a medical emergency. When this happens, the hands will be cold (due to anemia) and pale (blue-white).
- A broken bone can also clamp or sever nearby nerves, leading to complete numbness in the area of the hand where the nerves are distributed.
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X-rays prescribed by a doctor. The information above can guide you in diagnosing your wrist injury as a sprain or fracture, but only imaging methods such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or scans are available. New computed tomography (CT) scans are accurate in most cases – unless the broken bone pierces the skin. X-rays are the most common and economical way to look at the small bones in the wrist. Your doctor may refer you for a wrist X-ray so that the radiologist can read the results before advising you. X-rays only show bones, not soft tissues such as ligaments or tendons. Broken bones are difficult to read with X-rays due to their small size and limited space, and can take several days to become apparent on X-ray images. To see more ligament injuries, your doctor will recommend an MRI or CT scan.
- An MRI scan, a method that uses magnetic waves to provide detailed images of bone structures in the body, may be necessary in detecting broken bones in the wrist, especially broken clavicles.
- Wrist fractures are difficult to see on a normal X-ray until the swelling is gone. As such, you may have to wait about a week for a broken bone to be identified, although until then the wound may be healing on its own.
- Osteoporosis (mineral-deficiency brittle bones) is a major risk factor for wrist fractures, but the condition does not actually increase the risk of wrist sprains.
Advice
- Wrist sprains and fractures are often caused by falls, so you need to be careful when walking on wet or slippery surfaces.
- Skateboarding and skiing are high-risk activities for wrist sprains and fractures, so you should always wear wrist guards.
- Some carpal bones don’t receive a great blood supply under normal conditions, so the healing process can take months to heal if broken.
Warning
- If left untreated, a broken wrist can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis.
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This article was co-written by Diana Lee, MD. Dr. Diana Lee is a family doctor in California. She received her MD from Georgetown University in 2015. Most recently, she completed a research program in ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests are diverse and include: cataract surgery, dry eye, thyroid disease, retinoblastoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 51,285 times.
A wrist sprain is a condition in which the ligaments in the wrist become overstretched and tear (partially or completely). In contrast, a wrist fracture means that one of the wrist bones is broken. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a wrist sprain and a wrist fracture, as both injuries have similar symptoms and are caused by similar injuries – falling or bumping the wrist. hit directly. [1] X Research Source In fact, wrist fractures very often include wrist sprains. Accurate identification of these two injuries requires a medical diagnosis (by X-ray), but sometimes you can also differentiate between a sprain and a wrist fracture at home before going to the hospital. or medical facility.
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