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General health

If dd can wriggle her fingers can her wrist be broken?

19 replies

GeeandTea · 04/07/2013 22:54

Dd fell over at school today. She seems to have landed on her wrist. It is now very sore. She can wriggle her fingers and pinch her fingers together with her thumb, and there is very little swelling, but she can't move hand up or down or side to side without it being extremely painful (although it isn't painful when not being moved) is there a chance it might be broken? 99.9% sure it's not broken but I am queen if not being sympathetic enough and would hate to miss broken wrist. I guess i should take her to a and e just to be sure....

OP posts:

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austenozzy · 04/07/2013 23:00

I broke my wrist doing leapfrog aged 10. Not a bad one, and I was able to move it and wiggle fingers etc. The PE instructor told me to get up and stop being soft. I went home complaining about it hurting, and mum took me to A&E, where it was confirmed that it was a fracture.

I think the worst thing was sitting in Kings A&E for hours and hours waiting to get a plaster cast on it! The PE instructor didn't even acknowledge it, the bastard! It was nearly 30 years ago, can I still sue...? :-)

Startail · 04/07/2013 23:02

Yes, DD2 had broken both her wrists, ulna clean through in one and both bones clean through in the other. Both times she could wiggle her fingers, it didn't swell much and the second time she got a nights sleep on one dose of paracetamol.

Get it checked if your in any doubt. The morning will do unless she's in great pain or it starts to swell badly.

BlackeyedSusan · 04/07/2013 23:02

yes. one child finished her holiday and came to school for a couple of days before it was found that she had a greenstick fracture.

a sprain can be as painful and take longer to heal.

Gomez · 04/07/2013 23:03

Yes. Dd2, 3 weeks ago. Could wiggle but not rotate. Buckle fracture treated with a splint rather than a stookie.

GeeandTea · 04/07/2013 23:05

Thanks for the replies. She doesn't seem in pain when it is still but the movement is so limited and is causing pain so will go down tomorrow and get it checked out. Even if they just give her a wrist support or something. And some peace of mind!

OP posts:

BettyBotter · 04/07/2013 23:05

You are me 6 weeks ago. I was 99.9% sure ds hadn't broken anything. (little swelling, reducing pain, able to move fingers etc)
It was broken.

Get dd x-rayed in case.

BackforGood · 04/07/2013 23:10

I too have become an expert on this subject in the last fortnight.
ds (done a lot of first aid) thought it sprained.
GP thought it sprained but suggested going for x-ray to be sure. Radiographers unsure, sent us to A&E Dr,
A&E Dr unsure, put a 1/2 cast on over the weekend and made an appt with the consultant 'hand specialist'.
Went to that appt, but consultant couldn't be certain from the x-ray, but said this is relatively common with children's wrists - said there are 4 bones in there, and my dd's was presenting as a fracture but they couldn't find it on the x-ray. They decided to put her in a cast and we go back next week for them to have another look, when they might replaster for another 4 weeks or might leave her without.

SO the experts can't be sure, but the thinking is it's better to assume it is and put it in a cast to reset, than to leave without a cast when it might not heal properly.

AuntieStella · 04/07/2013 23:11

If she's still in pain with ordinary movement, and wants to hold it straight all the time in a neutral position, then it's worth getting it seen? You can still have some movement and grip with a break.

There are loads of bones in the wrist, and it's really difficult to see everything clearly on first x-ray. What they do (voice of experience here) if they think it could be broken is put a pot on it and then redo the x-rays in a week or two, as it's much easier to see a line where the bones have started to recalcify to mend. If they see that, then the pot stays on for more weeks.

BackforGood · 04/07/2013 23:11

Oh, sorry, to answer OP - she could move fingers, hand, and turn arm 'over'.

Earthworms · 04/07/2013 23:12

Yes, I broke mine when younger, full hand movement, but broken.

gamerchick · 04/07/2013 23:17

Yes, my eldest broke her wrist doing handstands years ago. Shook herself off and carried on doing handstands
3 days later it still hurt and a visit to a&e saw that it was broken.

Man, they treated me like the worst mother ever.... Gits.

Best to get it checked out to be safe.

AuntieStella · 04/07/2013 23:22

Yes, if you go in the day after because it was only then your DC said 'but this still hurts Mum', you can expect the child protection questions because of the perceived delay in attending (which can be a red flag, so it is fair they do this). Up to you whether you need to warn your DC not to say anything mischievous at this point.

ThatVikRinA22 · 04/07/2013 23:25

just to endorse the message....YES! DS broke his wrist, and i took him for xrays. it took them 4 days to realise and phone me to say yes, his wrist was broken!

Startail · 05/07/2013 00:20

DD knew full well hers was broken the night she went to bed. She also knew it would mean cancelling our family holiday (she broke it while I was packing).

Never under estimate a nine yearold.

digerd · 05/07/2013 13:00

The only experience I've had is with a 12year -old girl who fell off her bike. For several hours it looked OK but then it swelled really bad. A&E and it was broken.
I think it depends on where exactly in the wrist it is
Wouldn't risk just leaving it .

AppleCrumples · 05/07/2013 13:07

Ds2 fell off a roundabout and got a greenstick fracture. Poor thing i only took him to a&e because he woulfn't eat dinner as his wrist hurt but he kept waving his arm about at hosp so assumed he was fine...apparently 4 year olds have soft bones. The nurse even said it wad fairly common for it to seem like nothing but be fractured!

Better to be safe than sorry as they regularly tell me in a&e..

mummytime · 05/07/2013 13:19

I would go to the hospital, kids can be very brave with breaks whilst make a huge fuss with a tiny graze.

Also even if it is " only soft tissue damage" they may be able to do something to ease its healing and get movement back.

AuntieStella · 05/07/2013 17:24

Did you go to A&E, OP? If so, how did you get on?

nocheeseplease · 05/07/2013 17:31

Yep, both my dds have broken their wrist (at different times) with no swelling, able to move their hand and wriggle their fingers. We took them to a&e just to be on the safe side and they had broken them. My eldest dd currently has a cast on hers as she only broke it 2 weeks ago (only 5 weeks after gettig a cast off for a broken elbow!). I have the worlds clumsiet kids! Lol

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