Distinguish between wrist sprains and wrist fractures

Wrist sprain occurs when the ligaments in the wrist are exaggerated and torn (partially or completely). Broken wrist bones occur when one of the wrist bones is broken. Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between wrist sprains and wrist fractures because both of these injuries have the same symptoms and are caused by similar injuries - anti-hand when A fall or wrist is directly impacted.

In fact, wrist fracture cases also include wrist sprains. Accurate identification of these two injuries requires medical diagnosis (X-rays), but you can also differentiate sprains and wrist fractures at home before going to hospital or muscle. nearest health department. Please refer to how to distinguish between wrist sprains and wrist fractures in this article!

Part 1: Diagnosis of wrist sprain

1. Try wrist movement and evaluation

Wrist sprains can occur at different levels, depending on the degree of stretching or tearing of one or more ligaments. In the case of mild wrist sprains (level 1), the ligaments are dilated but not significantly torn; The average case (level 2) indicates quite a lot of ligament tearing (up to 50% of fibers) and may lose some functions; In severe sprain (level 3), the tendon rupture is worse or completely broken.

You can still move your wrists relatively normal (despite pain) if sprains are level 1 and level 2. In case of level 3 sprain often leads to instability in movement because of the strings Attached to the broken wrist bone completely.

1. Only some cases of level 2 wrist sprain and all cases of level 3 new sprain need medical attention. All cases of level 1 wrist sprain and most level 2 wrist sprains can be treated at home. A level 3 sprain may include a fracture of the bone, when a broken ligament leaves the bone and drags a small piece of bone.
2. The most dilated wrist ligament is the scapho-lunate ligament (scapho-lunate ligament) that connects the spine and the horizon.

2. Determine the type of pain

Wrist tendons often vary in severity and type of pain. A wrist sprain at level 1 causes mild pain, the pain is often described as aching and may be painful when moving. Level 2 sprain has moderate to severe pain, depending on the ligament tear; The level of pain is higher than degree 1 and sometimes aches due to more swelling. However, initial level 3 sprain usually causes less pain than level 2 because the ligament is completely broken and does not stimulate many surrounding nerves. Level 3 sprain will start to hurt when the swelling increases.

1. Case of level 3 sprain with bone fracture causes severe pain immediately.
2. The sprain causes pain especially when moving; symptoms will be relieved if they are kept immobile.
   In general, you need to see a doctor right away if your wrist is painful and hard to move.

3. Apply ice and observe the reaction

The case of sprains at all levels responds well to ice packs or cold compresses by reducing swelling and numbing the surrounding nerves that cause pain. Ice therapy is especially important in cases of level 2 and 3 wrist sprains due to increased swelling around the site of injury. Rock therapy on a sprained wrist after an injury every 1 to 2 hours, each time for 10-15 minutes is very effective after about 1 day and helps reduce pain significantly, so that movement is easy easier.

1. Ice packs when a wrist fracture helps relieve pain and reduce swelling but symptoms often return after the effect is gone. Thus, cold compressing is effective in the case of wrist sprains than most fractures.
2. The more severe the sprain is, the more swollen the wound makes the area swell.
3. Cases of bone fractures are often resolved with cold (long-term) therapy better than cases of severe fractures requiring medical attention.

4. Check the bruising phenomenon the next day

Notice the swelling is not the same as bruising. Bruising is caused by blood from small arteries or veins that enter the tissues. Level 1 sprain usually does not cause bruising, unless a strong impact ruptures blood vessels under the skin. Grade 2 sprains are usually swollen, but may not be bruised much - depending on how the injury occurs. Level 3 sprains cause a lot of swelling and often bruising significantly because the injury severely breaks the ligament seriously enough to break or damage the blood vessels around.

1. The swelling does not cause a lot of skin discoloration, except for the red color produced by heat.
2. The phenomenon of bruising causes the skin to turn dark blue often due to blood oozing into the tissue beneath the skin surface. When blood dissolves and withdraws from these tissues, the bruise also changes color (light blue and finally yellowish).

5. Follow developments after a few days

Basically, every case of wrist sprains at level 1 and some level 2 sprain will improve significantly after a few days, especially when the wound is kept frozen and cold. If your wrists look better, there is no obvious swelling and can move without pain, there is no need for medical intervention. If the sprain is heavier (level 2) but feels much better after a few days (although there is still swelling and pain), you need to wait a little longer to recover. However, if the wound does not improve much or worsen after a few days, it is necessary to have a medical examination as soon as possible.

1. Level 1 sprain and in some cases level 2 is fairly quick (from 1 to 2 weeks), while level 3 sprain (especially when the bone is broken) has the longest recovery time (up to several months) ).
2. Cases of bone fractures can heal quite quickly (several weeks) and cases of severe fractures can take up to several months or more, depending on whether surgery is performed.

Part 2: Diagnosis of wrist fractures

1. Observe the phenomenon of deviation or crookedness

Types of accidents or injuries that cause wrist sprains can also cause wrist fractures. In general, the bigger and stronger the bone, the less likely it is to have a traumatic fracture - instead of stretching and tearing the ligament. However, if the bone is broken, there is often a deviation or cropping. Eight wrist bones are quite small, so wrist misalignment and twitching may be difficult (or impossible) to recognize, especially in case of fracture, and a more severe fracture is easier to identify.

1. The longest fracture in the wrist area is the rotating bone - the forearm bone is attached to the small bones in the wrist.
2. The most often broken wrist bones are the boat bones ; This case is often less likely to cause marked wrist distortion.
3. The case of bone stabbing and exposure is called an open fracture .

2. Determine the type of pain

The degree and type of wrist fracture also depends on the severity of the injury, but is often described as a sting when movement and pain during motion. Pain from wrist fractures often increases when grasping or squeezing hands; This condition usually does not occur when sprains are present.

Wrist fractures often cause more symptoms in the hands, such as stiffness, numbness or unable to move the finger, due to the possibility of injury / nerve damage. There is also a cracking sound when the wrist is broken; This does not happen in the case of wrist sprains.

1. Pain when a wrist fracture is common (not always) occurs after a 'crack'. Only level 3 sprains produce the same sound or sensation and sometimes an 'explosion' sound when the ligament breaks.
2. Pain from wrist fractures increases at night, while pain due to sprains will stabilize and not sting in the night if the wrist is held in place.

3. Monitor symptoms

As mentioned, a mild to moderate sprain can last after 1-2 days if you are rested and chilled, but in the case of a fracture it is not. The case of bone fracture may be an exception, most broken bones need more time to recover than sprains. Thus, a few days of applying ice and resting does not work much to help relieve symptoms in cases of fractures. You may feel worse when your body has experienced an initial shock when you are injured.

1. If the bone breaks in the wrist through the skin, the risk of infection and blood loss is very high. You need to seek medical care as soon as possible.
2. A broken bone in the wrist can completely cut blood circulation to the hand . The phenomenon of swelling due to blood flow is called 'compaction syndrome' and is an emergency. When this happens, the hand will be cold (due to anemia) and pale (bluish white).
3. A broken bone can also pinch or break nearby nerves , resulting in complete numbness in the area of ​​the hand that distributes nerves.

4. X-rays taken by a doctor

The above information can show you how to diagnose wrist injuries that are sprains or fractures, but only diagnostic methods such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or scans. new computerized tomography (CT scan) can be accurately determined in most cases - except for broken bones pierced through the skin.

X-rays are the most common and economical method to observe small bones in the wrist. Your doctor may recommend a x-ray of your wrist so the radiologist can read the results before consulting. X-rays show only images of bones without seeing soft tissue like ligaments or tendons. Broken bones are difficult to read by X-rays due to their small size and limited space, which may take several days to be seen clearly on X-ray images. Therefore, to see more ligament lesions, the doctor will recommend you an MRI or CT scan.

1. MRI - the method of using magnetic waves to provide detailed images of bone structure in the body, may be needed in detecting broken bones in the wrist, especially broken bone bones.
2. The case of fracture of the wrist bone is difficult to observe on a normal X-ray image until the swelling is gone. You may have to wait about a week to identify the broken bone, although the wound may be healing by then.
3. Osteoporosis (mineral deficiency brittle bone) is a major risk factor for wrist fractures, but this situation does not really increase the risk of wrist sprains.