Boxer's fracture...broken hands

[Prosecutor]

Has anyone else broken a hand / had a boxer's fracture? What was your experience long term?

I've had 3 of them in my right hand (4th metacarpal twice / 5th once). None of the breaks required surgical intervention...but now, years later, it just sorts of hurts and feels fatigued a lot.

It's weird, because it does not feel like arthritis. I do not think that the articular surfaces of the joints were damaged very much...it is hard to explain. The feeling is like if you took at pipe (about as thick as your finger) and squeezed it as hard as you could for 30 seconds, and then relax...that is what my hand feels like at the end of the day. It is more like "tired" than pain.

I have a follow-up with a hand surgeon next week. I will consider having him open it up for revisions if it will help. Anyone else have this issue?

[JRD77VET]

How's your hand strength? Have you tried any grip exercises ? ( besides that )

[kingpin]

I had what a nurse called a boxers break.
I was about to hit a relative but pulled back and hit a concrete wall.

I broke the bone in my hand where the pinky finger is.

The bone broke in half and was overlapped 1/4" on top of the other.
I opted for them to pull it and place it back in place where they drilled 3 holes and put a wire in to hold the bones together. Healed in 3 weeks and had the wires pulled out.

It's been 18 years since that happened and other than a slight bump on top of my hand no pains or anything.

[Prosecutor]

Originally Posted by JRD77VET

How's your hand strength? Have you tried any grip exercises ? ( besides that )

Yes...my grip is good.

I feel like it is as good as on the left side...but I cannot maintain for as long. Again, the issue is rapid fatigue.

[Prosecutor]

Originally Posted by kingpin

It's been 18 years since that happened and other than a slight bump on top of my hand no pains or anything.

That's good.

Mine is the opposite of a bump. I have no noticeable 4th or 5th knuckle on the right. You might have done the right thing and had wires/surgery. It was never offered for me...until later.

[kingpin]

Originally Posted by Prosecutor

That's good.

Mine is the opposite of a bump. I have no noticeable 4th or 5th knuckle on the right. You might have done the right thing and had wires/surgery. It was never offered for me...until later.

My knuckles are the same as yours. They've been through hell(bad temper when I was younger).
They gave me a choice of surgery or the wires. The surgery would of been cutting my hand open, mending the bone together with a metal plate.
I would have to go back after a year and get it removed.

I opted for the much more cool looking wires they drill in your hand when you're awake. I had so much fun twisting those wires around messing with my friends.

What did you have done to fix the break?

[Prosecutor]

Originally Posted by kingpin

What did you have done to fix the break?

Well, the docs were able to fix my breaks with closed reduction. No opening it up, no surgery. Just splinting and casts.

In retrospect...I think that something else may have been warranted. The 4th metacarpal fracture in the early 80s was mild. The 5th metacarpal fracture in the early 90s was really bad...my pinky was flopping around...no surgery. The most recent 4th metacarpal fracture in 2007 was quite bad...I was given to opinions surgery vs. splinting. I went with splinting because I am a puss...afraid it surgery. Now, I wish that I had done it different. Who knows how it would have turned out?

[kingpin]

That sucks. Hope it gets better for ya!
Need a hug?

I remember asking about using a splint and they told me because of how much movement there is in your hands it wouldn't work very well.

[Prosecutor]

Originally Posted by kingpin

That sucks. Hope it gets better for ya!
Need a hug?

I remember asking about using a splint and they told me because of how much movement there is in your hands it wouldn't work very well.

It is interesting how the treatment theory changed. I in the early 80's I got a hard cast and immobilization until my hand and forearm wasted away (I got chicken pox too...a terrible coincidence). It was 4th grade. In 2007 I got a splint, ACE bandage for 2-3 weeks, and then use restrictions. As you suggested, the part needs to move.

[VITE1]

I have a lot of them. Did some Orran hand techniques and training when I was young and stupid. If I don't keep stretching my hands they get very tight.

One good thing is when I have to hit anything it normally breaks before my hand now.

[Stangkiller]

I broke my 4th metacarpal in my left hand 9 years ago, the first surgeon didn't line up the bones right when he out in a plate and 4 screws, then as he was closing up the opening he left a piece of nylon in my hand. Thus after 8 months of constant pain and discomfort lo and behold my hand was still broken.

The second surgeon, Dr Dell, who was attached to Shands Medical at UF did a wonderful job, both correcting the first surgeons Fk ups and again 2 years later to remove the plate and 4 screws which had been on the top of the bone and agitating my hand.

Now 9 years after the initial break it still pains me from time to time, and I still find myself favoring/protecting that hand, I have a rather large scar across the top of my hand which can at times add to the discomfort. But after spending the last two days wrenching on a car I can say it really is fully healed.

[xXBUDXx]

I've done it twice. About 5 years since the last one.

No pain, grip strength is the same, but the tendons or ligaments in the palm of my hand are very sensitive to pain.

[ft laud mike]

Happened to both hands, about 6 months apart- both at work. First one left pinky bone broken almost in 1/2, had a 1/2 cast(?), only covered pinky &ring finger & went below wrist. Healed up with a big lump on top- no residual pain though. Right hand was at 1 knuckle of pinky, do not even remember what immobilization I had for that one (maybe similar to first). Lesson learned- be sure you know where you are punching in face=good, if person moves and you hit their skull= bad

[69camfrk]

Happened 20 years ago and it still f'n hurts. Sometimes worse than others, but at this point I obviously just deal with it. I'm sure it has some arthritis in it.

[cmb396]

Yea, broke my 4th and 5th in HS playing baseball. Only get real pain now if I go bowling, so I subsitute drinking instead. Other than that, no real pain or stiffness. Grip is good, but I'n in the gym 5 days a week so that offsets any weakness.