“Boxers fracture not set right?”
I want to know if the orthopedic surgeon had a reason why he didn’t straighten my fracture. He put pins in but it’s still crooked painful and goes numb. It’s been almost a month after pins were taken out. I have an x-ray of the break and after pins were pulled. White X-ray is break blue one has healed pins removed. I am an artist and I’m afraid my hand is messed up.
Male | 38 years old
Complaint duration: 1 month
Medications: None
Conditions: Boxers fracture
4 Answers
Boxers fractures generally are not major functional issues even with some angulation as the 5th metacarpal is highly mobile. It sounds like the nerve is irritated. This might be more troublesome long term. Hopefully, it's only temporary. Massage the finger gently with cortisone cream and hope the nerve settles down.
Consult PT/OT. Start Acupuncture with Moxibustion. Consult Functional. Consult a hand surgeon and a hand orthopedic surgeon.
Hello and thanks for sharing your hand problem with me. I am happy to share my thoughts, tips, and suggestions with you. Are you more concerned about the pain, shape of the hand, numbness, or the lack of being able to use the hand well? At times the fracture (break) can damage the nerves around the finger. Sometimes the pins get close to the nerves or touch them. In addition, the pain can slowly resolve by 2-3 months after the pins are removed. Finally, sometimes the fracture surgery (pin placement) does not get the finger completely straight (like the same finger, on the other hand, assuming it has not been damaged before). However, the fingers can generally still work very well even with them not being perfectly straight.
From what you wrote about the x-ray, it is difficult for me to know whether or not the break is healing. I feel that if the nerve pain becomes worse in the next 2-3 weeks, then it is worth seeing the surgeon again. I believe that working hard at getting back full range of movement is an important part of recovery after this type of surgery. Did your surgeon start you on physical therapy? It may take 4-8 months to completely recover after a fracture and surgery like this. Every 2 weeks or so you should feel a bit better, and not worse. But, it takes time and effort to get an optimal outcome after surgery. I hope this helps.
From what you wrote about the x-ray, it is difficult for me to know whether or not the break is healing. I feel that if the nerve pain becomes worse in the next 2-3 weeks, then it is worth seeing the surgeon again. I believe that working hard at getting back full range of movement is an important part of recovery after this type of surgery. Did your surgeon start you on physical therapy? It may take 4-8 months to completely recover after a fracture and surgery like this. Every 2 weeks or so you should feel a bit better, and not worse. But, it takes time and effort to get an optimal outcome after surgery. I hope this helps.
I cannot comment on another physician's work, but if you’re not happy, I would seek a second opinion with a hand surgeon.
