Fractured Wrist: In splint for 5 weeks, soreness/swelling normal?

Posted by tina8808 @tina8808, May 25, 2023

I’m a 55 year old female (not too active), I fell on a slab of concrete (landed on the palm of my hand) and broke my wrist. X-rays determined that I have three hairline fractures, one in the elbow and two at the wrist area.  No further scans (MRI, etc) were taken. I’ve been in a splint for 5 weeks (they gave me a choice between a cast or splint extending two inches from my elbow). I am being careful not to pick up anything or use my arm in a stressful way (not even typing).  Although I do move my fingers to keep range of motion.   After a five weeks in the splint, my wrist is still sore and swollen, my forearm is sore and I can’t extend my elbow.  

IS IT NORMAL TO:
1. To feel constant warmth in the palm of my hand?
2. Wrist swelling at this stage? (About 2 millimeters)
3. Forearm constant warmth and soreness, even when not in use?
4. Inability to fully extend my elbow?
5. Should I still need to take Ibuprofen every eight hours after five weeks, to maintain swelling?

Thank you

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@californiazebra

@bebold
A dermatologist can inject kenalog directly into keloid scars to flatten out the scar, take away the redness and eliminate the pain. I had the injections in keloid scars from my mastectomies. I received injections every few months. Each time they would stop the pain for a few months. After 2.5 years of injections the scars were flat, light colored and most importantly were no longer causing horrible shooting pains all day long.

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Interesting! I'm having my hip replaced soon. Good to know! Thanks.
Bebold

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@bebold

Interesting! I'm having my hip replaced soon. Good to know! Thanks.
Bebold

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@bebold
Be sure to let the surgeon know you get keloid scars. There are steps they can tape like extra taping to prevent them. Some doctors are not that familiar with keloids so I hope yours is. When I had my C-section I got a hypertrophic scar instead of keloid. It’s the lesser of two evils. Smaller, less painful and flattened on its own in a couple years. You may or may not get a keloid, but an ounce of prevention…😊

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@californiazebra

@bebold
A dermatologist can inject kenalog directly into keloid scars to flatten out the scar, take away the redness and eliminate the pain. I had the injections in keloid scars from my mastectomies. I received injections every few months. Each time they would stop the pain for a few months. After 2.5 years of injections the scars were flat, light colored and most importantly were no longer causing horrible shooting pains all day long.

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@californiazebra , i wish i had known about this. I had a hip replacement in January 2023. The scar from that incision is red and raised. So far , i haven’t noticed any pain, but it is unsightly.

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@californiazebra

@bebold
Be sure to let the surgeon know you get keloid scars. There are steps they can tape like extra taping to prevent them. Some doctors are not that familiar with keloids so I hope yours is. When I had my C-section I got a hypertrophic scar instead of keloid. It’s the lesser of two evils. Smaller, less painful and flattened on its own in a couple years. You may or may not get a keloid, but an ounce of prevention…😊

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You should see my terrible, wide, knee scar from surgery when I was 15. When they replaced it in 08, they had to go over the same scar because they were afraid the skin between two scars would die.

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@jprust

I fell on concrete in November of 2023. When I fell on my right side I broke my wrist in two places and also it jammed my elbow into my rib cage. I had just got out of a sling after a reverse total shoulder on the same side. I was black and blue for weeks. I wore a brace for 6 weeks. My wrist still hurts and the top of my hand still hurts. It has been 6 months.
I just had a nerve conduction and muscle test that showed I have carpal tunnel and elbow impingement on my right arm. I think the fall and injury did do more damage than first thought. I am 74. I have burning and tingling in all my fingers and thumb, and across my palm.
I went to two orthopedic surgeons for consult-the first said it was not carpal tunnel but suggested I do the nerve and muscle testing.

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I am 6 weeks from an ulnar nerve and carpal tunnel release on one side and going to get EMG testing at the end of the week for the other side. I’m glad I addressed it. It’s no picnic to recover but far easier than a joint replacement.

It may or may not be related to your fall and I’ve had Total Reverse Shoulder on one side but I realize it may not be related to the wrist.

Get the tests if you and insurance covers it. You need your hands!

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@walk4life

@californiazebra , i wish i had known about this. I had a hip replacement in January 2023. The scar from that incision is red and raised. So far , i haven’t noticed any pain, but it is unsightly.

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@walk4life
If it’s not painful, it may be hypertrophic not keloid. Hypertrophic stays right along the incision like my C-section scar. Keloid branches out, is larger and usually painful and/or itchy. I also have a keloid on my shoulder that started from a smallpox vaccination (2” x 1/2”) red/raised) then I had scar revision surgery at 11 (bad idea and the plastic surgeon skipped the country when things went south). The scar came back 5” x 2” red and raised. Pain/itching. It took 30 years to flatten and lose color on its own. One small portion is still a little raised and red after 56 years.

It’s never too late to get the kenalog injections. I endured constant level 10 shooting and slicing pains for 2.5 years after my mastectomies until my dermatologist talked me into the injections. It took another 2.5 years getting about 15 injections at a time every few months but so worth it. I have about 22” of scars on my chest from the inverted T incisions. I was quite stunned by that since photos on the Internet are just two straight lines. Hmmm. Get a dermatologist who has had success with it. I had the painful injections in my shoulder scar as a kid and it didn’t help. My current dermatologist says it’s a skilled procedure so choose your doctor wisely.

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@bebold

You should see my terrible, wide, knee scar from surgery when I was 15. When they replaced it in 08, they had to go over the same scar because they were afraid the skin between two scars would die.

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@bebold
Yikes!!! I haven’t heard that but when my breast cancer came back in my chest wall, the surgeon opened up the mastectomy scar even though it wasn’t where the new tumor was because she didn’t have the heart to add more scars. She extended the old incision and stretched to reach the new tumor. It was kind of her, but I ended up with a positive margin so maybe it wasn’t the best choice. Hmmm. Hindsight is always 20/20, huh?

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@californiazebra

@walk4life
If it’s not painful, it may be hypertrophic not keloid. Hypertrophic stays right along the incision like my C-section scar. Keloid branches out, is larger and usually painful and/or itchy. I also have a keloid on my shoulder that started from a smallpox vaccination (2” x 1/2”) red/raised) then I had scar revision surgery at 11 (bad idea and the plastic surgeon skipped the country when things went south). The scar came back 5” x 2” red and raised. Pain/itching. It took 30 years to flatten and lose color on its own. One small portion is still a little raised and red after 56 years.

It’s never too late to get the kenalog injections. I endured constant level 10 shooting and slicing pains for 2.5 years after my mastectomies until my dermatologist talked me into the injections. It took another 2.5 years getting about 15 injections at a time every few months but so worth it. I have about 22” of scars on my chest from the inverted T incisions. I was quite stunned by that since photos on the Internet are just two straight lines. Hmmm. Get a dermatologist who has had success with it. I had the painful injections in my shoulder scar as a kid and it didn’t help. My current dermatologist says it’s a skilled procedure so choose your doctor wisely.

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@californiazebra , thanks for the response. I may have the hypertrophic scar. I had an emergency c-section 47 years ago and had a wide raised scar. I am thinking that is also a hypertropic scar. I recently had an ORIF on my wrist. So far that incision seems thin. I am hoping it will not look like the other surgical scars.

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@walk4life

@californiazebra , thanks for the response. I may have the hypertrophic scar. I had an emergency c-section 47 years ago and had a wide raised scar. I am thinking that is also a hypertropic scar. I recently had an ORIF on my wrist. So far that incision seems thin. I am hoping it will not look like the other surgical scars.

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@walk4life
Glad your wrist incision is good so far. My keloid scars started forming about 2 weeks after surgery so hopefully you’re way past that point in time.

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