Metacarpal fracture/broken hand bone

So, I spent a full month with my arm stuck in a cast. To make matters worse, they didn't even bother resetting it properly until three weeks in, which was obviously way too late. I was supposed to head back to the doctor for some follow-up after doing six weeks of solo rehab exercises, but honestly, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. These days, I can squeeze my hand and straighten it out just fine, though there’s definitely a noticeable lump where the break was. As for the exact angle of the joint? Who knows. It’s probably slightly less than when the cast first came off, but if I can actually use it, I don't really care that much about the specific degree of the bend.

So... I was wondering if anyone actually knows what this part of the diagnosis
means: male sanata.

P.S. It was regarding a fracture.

Thanks in advance! 😍

Essentially, this means the bone fracture hasn't healed properly; you're likely looking at a pseudoarthrosis, or what some call a false joint... if you'd like more details, please feel free to ask.

Sam Hall15 said:Essentially, this means the bone fracture hasn't healed properly; you're likely looking at a pseudoarthrosis, or what some call a false joint... if you'd like more details, please feel free to ask.

Thanks.

Look, this isn't just some random orthopedic butcher who patched up my fifth metacarpal midshaft injury. This is coming from a hand surgeon who actually teaches at a medical school.

It wasn't actually a nonunion, though all signs were pointing that way.
The bone healed at a 30-degree angle, and after two months—once I finally saw the surgeon—they could already see signs of callus formation.

Before the "cleanup" started:
I can't see any image here. You gotta upload something if you want me to actually react to it.

One month later:
I can't see the image you're trying to share. Link's broken.

What am I even supposed to do now? Should I just sue them for medical malpractice or what? 😠

The whole diagnosis (two months after the fracture) says:
Broke my right hand. Just some guy dealing with a fractured metacarpal.
I don't know what to tell you. Just feels wrong. The pinky isn't flexing right, and the base of the metacarpal is all crooked. It hurts like hell right above where the bone healed wrong and near the extensor tendon. There’s swelling on the back and side of my right hand, where the bone is tilted at about a 30-degree angle. The edge of the fracture is sharp and sticking out, which is messing with the pinky's tendon. Doc says no surgery needed. This is just how it is now.

Why do you only remember your metacarpal bone exists once every single year?

Linked with the old thread 🙂

Jose Miller3 said:Why do you only remember your metacarpal bone exists once every single year?

Linked with the old thread 🙂

I’d love to forget about this bone, but it won't let me.😬
My hand is still acting up.😠

Well... if I may interject myself into this discourse... hmm. I suffered fractures in both bones of my ankle, yet my doctor saw absolutely no need to order any imaging. Though, frankly, I don't even require an X-ray to observe just how much my anatomy deviates from that of my healthy leg. It has been six months since the injury, and the sensation is as though everything has shifted significantly out of alignment—quite drastically, actually. 🙏
Now, if I might pose a question to the group: am I legally entitled to request those medical images? And more importantly, why on earth was I never provided with them in the first place?

Of course you can, provided you schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician...
To all the orthopedic surgeons and trauma specialists out there: if we're dealing with malunion, how is it possible that the bone cannot be repositioned intraoperatively... assuming a refracture occurs? If the nerves remain intact, shouldn't restoring anatomical alignment return at least some percentage of function to the extensor? And perhaps finally resolve the pain as well...
I will take another look at the X-ray; I don't see any significant callus formation, but I'll review it once more and get back to you...

I have reviewed the results again, and there are no signs of ossification whatsoever. It seems necessary to investigate whether this is purely due to biomechanical factors, or perhaps a combination involving other elements, such as nutritional deficiencies leading to delayed bone healing...

Sam Hall15 said:I have reviewed the results again, and there are no signs of ossification whatsoever. It seems necessary to investigate whether this is purely due to biomechanical factors, or perhaps a combination involving other elements, such as nutritional deficiencies leading to delayed bone healing...

Look, these aren't actual scans. They’re just photos taken of a monitor against a white background, so you can't really see the fine details.

My hand strength is about 95% back, but the issue is that sometimes (usually in the morning), my whole hand gets slightly swollen and stiff. It lasts for about an hour before it clears up. Also, when I press my left fingertips above the fracture site and make a fist with my right hand, I feel this weird "click" or thud.
Probably just some ligament or tendon snapping over a "bump."

I'm going to take more photos of the hand on Friday and I'll post the X-ray then.

12/17/2007.

Diagnosis:
Fracture of the subcapital base of the fifth metacarpal bone, right hand.
Contusion of the radiocarpal joint and thumb area, right side.

Treatment:
Splinting for the 4th and 5th fingers.

12/20/2007.

There's still some slight swelling on my right wrist.
X-ray results: Right hand shows satisfactory alignment of the fracture fragments; recommended extending immobilization with a splint.

12/27/2007.

That was the day they reset the fifth metacarpal on my right hand, and after that
X-ray: Fracture alignment looks good; cast applied; follow-up in 2 weeks.

01/10/2008.

The cast is slightly damaged and needs repair; follow-up and removal scheduled for 1 week from now.
During that exam, I was honestly expecting them to take another X-ray just to make sure the bone hadn't accidentally slipped out of place again. But instead, he just glanced at my hand for maybe two seconds and told me everything looked fine.

01/17/2008.

At the follow-up appointment, they couldn't even access my previous X-rays because my medical file had gone missing from the archives... everyone was just baffled—how does a file like that just vanish??? And on top of that:
Remove the immobilization and perform a follow-up X-ray: A slight angulation is visible at the subcapital fracture site of the fifth metacarpal.
However, clinically, the fracture is stable.
Minimal palpation tenderness.
Apply a protective splint for the 4th and 5th fingers; follow-up in 6 days.
Once he took the cast off, he pressed down on the spot after the imaging and asked if it hurt. I told him it hardly hurts at all—just a tiny bit of discomfort—though I couldn't really move those two fingers very well. It’s almost like they aren't even there.
Nothing seems out of place; my hand looks identical to my left one, at least based on my own assessment.

Everything I've written here is quoted directly from the trauma report.
My question is this: I'm honestly at a loss here. Am I being treated properly or not? Does any of this even make sense—running back and forth to the clinic so many times only for everything to end up exactly where it started?
Should I go back in a week? A friend mentioned it's possible the bone could shift again, which would mean another month stuck in a cast. Or should I just let it heal however it wants? I've heard that if you just let it be, you won't have any issues. If anyone has some useful advice on all of this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks ~

Honestly, based on everything you just laid out, I’d say just leave things exactly as they are right now—unless, of course, you're running into issues, but you mentioned you're doing alright.
I mean, it’s worth keeping in mind that a month is still a pretty short window for a fracture to fully heal up and settle back to normal.

I’m having a rough time over here—I can't even get any sleep because the pain is just relentless, and I still have to wait until Wednesday for my follow-up appointment.
It isn't even the actual spot where the bone fractured that's killing me; it's the area just above the break where there shouldn't be any issues at all. Because of that pain, my entire arm starts throbbing like it's being held over an open flame... honestly, it feels like they didn't set the cast quite right. I haven't the slightest clue what's going on!

I’m having a bit of trouble following this one. From what I can see, you’ve got two distinct fractures here; the top one looks like an oblique break, while the bottom one seems perfectly fine.

Diagnosis: Left-side thumb tendon injury
specifically involving the extensor pollicis longus, brevis, and abductor pollicis tendons

Clinical Status: There's a laceration and contusion around the base of the left thumb joint—basically where the metacarpophalangeal area kicks in. I can't extend or abduct the thumb at all right now. After exploring the wound, it turns out the long and short extensor tendons, along with the abductor tendon on the left side, have been severed, and the joint capsule itself took a hit too.

Findings—X-ray of the left hand: No obvious signs of acute bone trauma visible!

I’ve also got a fracture in my fifth metacarpal. I actually waited about a week before heading to the ER after the injury happened. Do you think I’m going to run into any issues because I dragged my feet on getting an X-ray and starting treatment? It doesn't look too gnarly and it isn't really hurting much—it just feels more like a hairline crack rather than a full-on break...

Kenneth Alvarez98 said:I’ve also got a fracture in my fifth metacarpal. I actually waited about a week before heading to the ER after the injury happened. Do you think I’m going to run into any issues because I dragged my feet on getting an X-ray and starting treatment? It doesn't look too gnarly and it isn't really hurting much—it just feels more like a hairline crack rather than a full-on break...

Honestly, you should be fine...

I dealt with a fracture in my fourth metacarpal once, and even after a month in a cast, things hadn't quite knit back together properly. Honestly? I just refused to wear the damn thing anymore. I got lucky that I didn't end up with any major complications; my "rehab" mostly consisted of some light exercises in salt water, nothing fancy. I can't say much more, but those types of fractures are tricky because they heal at such a snail's pace. It sounds like you just had a run of bad luck.😕

Hi everyone—I can't find any decent discussions online regarding hand fractures, specifically finger bones. I was hoping someone could help interpret these X-rays. The break happened back on January 4th, 2012, after wearing a splint for 16 days. Now, a second orthopedic surgeon is saying the finger is misaligned and wants to set it in the position shown in the photo. I told the doctor that I really don't want anyone experimenting on my hand again—just being honest there. His response was that this deviation is actually acceptable. Since fingers move so much, I'm wondering if this is truly fine—if I should just let it heal as is.

links

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4674/20120123150155.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/4...0123150231.jpg
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7...0123150238.jpg

So, five weeks back, I ended up with a spiral fracture in my fourth and fifth metacarpals. Here’s what the X-ray looks like right now. If things stay looking exactly like this, how much hand function am I actually going to lose? My doctor keeps insisting everything is going to be just fine, but you know how that goes. (image)[/IMG]