Broken wrist/joint

Five weeks ago, I suffered a wrist fracture with a radial bone displacement.
The same day it happened, everything was reset perfectly, and I stayed on top of all my follow-up appointments.
Now that my splint has finally come off after five weeks, I’ve realized I’m still dealing with significant pain whenever I move the joint.
Specifically, I can move it downward quite easily, but it starts hurting once I hit the end of that range of motion.
Moving it upward is even worse; the pain limits me to just about an inch or two of movement.
I also can't rotate my arm enough to turn my palm facing up.
That same sharp pain kicks in whenever I try to rotate the wrist.
My doctor told me to undergo two weeks of physical therapy, and we'll reassess during the next checkup.

So, I wanted to ask...
Is this because the bones healed out of alignment—even though my scans show they didn't—or is it more likely that the ligaments have stiffened up after being immobilized for five weeks? Or perhaps the bone just isn't ready for this kind of strain yet?
Do you think things will eventually return to a normal state?
I realize it might never be exactly how it was before, but I'm hoping to get back to something close.

Thanks so much, everyone! 🙏

If the bone has healed properly, my only thought is that you're dealing with the fallout from five weeks of muscle and tendon inactivity... they really need to be stretched out. In a worst-case scenario, you might be looking at a contracture, though that seems unlikely since you're already making certain movements... head over to physical therapy and let me know how it goes

Where exactly is the fracture located, and what does the diagnosis state? I want to be sure it isn't a Colles fracture, or perhaps a Fractur occurring in the typical location...

Sam Hall15 said:Where exactly is the fracture located, and what does the diagnosis state? I want to be sure it isn't a Colles fracture, or perhaps a Fractur occurring in the typical location...

March 20, 2007

Imaging results: Radius fracture at the typical location with dorsal angulation of the fragments.

Diagnosis: Fractur of the radius in the typical zone, distal radius.

Plan: Perform manual reduction, apply a forearm splint; follow-up X-ray shows proper alignment of the fragments. Follow-up in 7 days.

March 27.
The bone position remains unchanged. Continue immobilization.
Due to swelling, switching to a circular cast.

April 10, 2007.
Changed the immobilization. Neurovascular status is normal; distal perfusion is good.
Bone position remains unchanged.

April 24, 2007.
Fragments are properly aligned. Wrist joint mobility is 10-0.70.
Start range-of-motion exercises for the wrist.
Follow-up on May 15, or earlier if needed.

Could someone please summarize what all of this means in plain English? 😲

Thank you all so much for the help!

So, you have a standard metacarpal fracture that has been properly set... everything should be fine

So, what exactly is a fracture *loco typico*? Basically, I’ve got a broken arm myself, and that’s the term they used in my diagnosis.

Keith Chase62 said:So, what exactly is a fracture *loco typico*? Basically, I’ve got a broken arm myself, and that’s the term they used in my diagnosis.

Basically, it means you've got a classic thumb bone fracture. It’s just medical shorthand for saying the break happened in the most common spot—usually from wiping out and landing hard on an outstretched hand.

Does anyone actually know what kind of physical therapy you get after a radius fracture? Like, what does the actual exercise regimen look like?

What on earth does "fractura loco typico" mean? Is this just some nonsense my son is making up?

Hey... I was also wondering what the heck "radii loco tipico sine" means disloc. et proc.

What is disloc et proc?

Brian Evans9 said:Hey... I was also wondering what the heck "radii loco tipico sine" means disloc. et proc.

What is disloc et proc?

radii loco tipico sine disloc. et proc., styloidei ulnae sin

Wait, what's going on with my ulna?

thanks

Basically, it’s short for a fracture of the radius—you know, that thumb-side bone—at the classic spot, about an inch or so above the wrist joint. It also means there's some dislocation going on, where the bone fragments and the ulna actually shifted out of place.

Wrong.

fractura radii loco tipico sine dislocatione et processus stylodei ulnae sinistrae

Basically, it’s a classic radial fracture without any displacement, along with a fracture at the proximal end of the left ulna.

Man, looks like Ulna decided to go screaming mad too... what a total disaster.
Thanks, guys...

So, here’s the deal—I had this fracture in my right wrist where the radius bone didn't knit back together properly. It got so messy they actually had to perform a bone graft, taking bone and marrow from my hip just to craft a sort of biological wedge for the radius. Between the plates, the rods, and all those screws... I basically felt like a damn cyborg for a while. And honestly? Even now, I still haven't clawed my way back to 100% mobility in that right wrist.

Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with the left one.😢

Hey there... I’m typing this one-handed since my right arm is currently stuck in a splint.
I managed to break one of those tiny, troublesome triangular bones in my wrist...

The diagnosis says: "multifragmental Fractur of the Triquetrum with dorsal displacement of the fragments."

If there are any resident doctors on here, could you weigh in on how serious this actually is? What kind of recovery or next steps should I be expecting?

Since I'm right-handed, getting my full range of motion back is everything to me. Honestly, I'm pretty miserable right now—the pain is constant, and the thought that the bone fragments have shifted and haven't been reset—just wrapped up until next week—is really weighing on me.

Thanks for listening.🙂

ironsurfer8 said:Hey there... I’m typing this one-handed since my right arm is currently stuck in a splint.
I managed to break one of those tiny, troublesome triangular bones in my wrist...

The diagnosis says: "multifragmental Fractur of the Triquetrum with dorsal displacement of the fragments."

If there are any resident doctors on here, could you weigh in on how serious this actually is? What kind of recovery or next steps should I be expecting?

Since I'm right-handed, getting my full range of motion back is everything to me. Honestly, I'm pretty miserable right now—the pain is constant, and the thought that the bone fragments have shifted and haven't been reset—just wrapped up until next week—is really weighing on me.

Thanks for listening.🙂

The Triquetrum is one of those eight small bones in your wrist, located right by the pinky side. A "multifragmental Fractur with dorsal displacement" basically means the bone shattered into several pieces and they've shifted backward, likely from a hard fall or a heavy impact. You'll probably need a reduction (getting those pieces put back where they belong).

A nasty spill on my scooter...
They’ve got me in a long leg cast for now, and I’m headed back in on Monday for more imaging and a consultation with the orthopedic surgeon...
If they decide they need to realign everything, does that pretty much guarantee surgery?
And what are the actual risks if they can't get those fragments to sit right? (From what I gather, it's a tiny bone fragment involved)

It’s a pretty small bone, honestly... If they can't get it set right, you're looking at surgery. And if you go that route, it absolutely has to work.

Hmm... I just got back from my follow-up appointment. Two different doctors reviewed my scans—they didn't take new ones, just looked at what was already there—and they confirmed that the small bone fragment has splintered into a few pieces. However, they just adjusted my splint (thankfully, I can actually move my fingers now) and scheduled a check-up in three weeks.
They explained that this specific bone isn't critical to the overall function of my arm, so there's no need for any surgical realignment.
The doctors seemed quite serious about the situation, but is it truly possible that having a tiny bone broken into several fragments won't cause any issues down the line?
Should I be seeking a third opinion?

I'm also feeling a bit uneasy about how differently things were handled. The ER doctor told me this could be extremely serious; he immobilized my entire arm and fingers and insisted I needed more imaging. Then, these specialists looked at the existing scan and were actually horrified by how I had been braced, asking who would immobilize an arm like it was "actually broken" (though they later admitted it technically is). They switched my splint to wrap around the top rather than the bottom and told me I absolutely must move my fingers.
It’s jarring to deal with two completely contradictory medical approaches and procedures...

Starting a new thread here:
I have a question for anyone who has dealt with a broken wrist before, or even for the self-proclaimed medical experts on this forum:

How secure is a splint actually supposed to be? How much "wiggle room" is normal?

It might sound like a silly question, but I’ve never dealt with anything like this. Right now, I have this nagging feeling that my splint isn't seated correctly. It’s not that there is too much space width-wise, but rather that it seems to be sliding down toward my fingers...
Since my arm is thicker near the elbow than at the wrist, and I tend to move my hand occasionally, it feels like it has shifted out of place.
Plus, this current splint is nothing like the first one they gave me at the ER; this one is much thinner, just a single layer of that plaster mesh, and it only covers one side. It doesn't really wrap around my arm at all—it’s more like a C-shape around the wrist area.

I'm worried that I might accidentally shift the bone out of alignment. I can't decide if this is a valid reason to head back to the emergency room to have them readjust it.

To be honest, I’m a bit apprehensive about going back to the ER, especially since the last doctor there actually mocked the way the initial splint was applied...
I feel pretty vulnerable right now and I'm definitely anxious. 😢

I would truly appreciate any thoughts, personal experiences, or advice you might have.