Is it possible to fracture your wrist and not know it

This is because injuries cause fluids to build in muscle and skin. All that extra liquid is absorbed by the soft tissue, causing them to harden. Even with a wrist sprain, using your wrist could be difficult. A fracture makes it much more difficult to bend it, hold various items, or put weight on it. This can be caused by damage done to the nerves in your wrist.

While this damage might be minimal, it could be a sign of a wrist fracture. One of the easiest and most common ways to instantly tell if you have a wrist fracture is the use of an x-ray. Not only will this show the doctor if you have a broken wrist, but it will also give them more detail about the break such as if it is a displaced or non-displaced fracture. Other imaging tests can give the doctors more insight into your injury if needed. CT scans can show the doctors if there are injuries to the soft tissues or blood vessels.

Another test used is an MRI. Intricate photos of your soft tissue and bone are taken and will show even the smallest of fractures and injuries to your ligaments. While there are a variety of different types of fractures you could experience, there are 4 common breaks. These include displaced, nondisplaced, open, and closed. Each varies in severity as well as treatment. If you experience this fracture, your bone will break in two or more places.

These pieces will not be lined up straight, making it difficult for the injury to heal properly on its own. A nondisplaced fracture is still a break and the bone will break either partially or all the way through. An open fracture is one of the most serious fractures. It is when the bone physically breaks the skin. If you encounter this type of break, seek immediate medical attention. A closed fracture is the total opposite of an open fracture. While it may not be as serious of a fracture, it still may require medical attention.

Once you have a diagnosis from the doctor they will be able to tell you how to proceed with treatment. The break could have resulted in gaps in your bones or overlapping bone fragments. This process is to prevent your bones from healing incorrectly.

Depending on the severity of the break, this process could be painful, requiring anthesis prior to the procedure. If your bones are aligned, you might be required to wear a splint prior to casting. UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information.

It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Overview Orthopedics. Our Approach to Hand and Wrist Fractures UCSF offers world-class care for both simple and complex injuries, including broken bones in the hand or wrist. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Wrist fractures. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Accessed April 20, Sebastin S, et al. Overview of finger, hand, and wrist fractures. Scaphoid fracture of the wrist. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Williams AA, et al. Pediatric hand and wrist injuries. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine. Petron DJ. Distal radius fractures in adults. Bone health. Accessed April 21,