Does this sound like a broken bone?

[alexande]

Dd (10) was out cycling round our village with a friend this afternoon after school and fell off her bike. She came home saying that her left wrist was really painful. I have her some ibruprofren, and the pain seemed to go away quite quickly. There was no sign of any swelling or bruising, so I presumed she'd just knocked or sprained it.

However, she's just woken up and come into our room saying that she's got a really intense cramp-like pain in her wrist again. Still no sign of any swelling.

Does this sound like a break?

*gave her

I would take her to A&E. Could just be bruised or sprained but I would get her checked. I've dealt with a broken bone but in a toddler, he was in absolute agony. Hopefully it'll be minor.

Ouch! I was always told that fairly immediate swelling followed by bruising indicates a break. Broke my toe recently and it swelled within a minute and started bruising within about an hour. Wondering if she’s possibly damaged a tendon therefore causing the cramp like feeling?

Id take her to A&E. My friends child broke her wrist with only mild discomfort first few days and 2 weeks on it was found to be broken. She’d been doing allsorts with it.

It definitely could be, I really don’t think you can tell without an X-ray. Better to go to a and e and it be okay than not go and miss a fracture.
FWIW my broken wrist was not that painful at all because it hadn’t displaced.

It could be. Take her to A&E if your worried.

It took me 2 days to take DD to A&E for her broken finger. It was slightly swollen and slightly bruised but took a long time to appear, Even the nurse thought it wasn't broken but sent her to x-ray to be on the safe side.

It's not always easy to tell.

A&E to be on the safe side.

I've broken my elbow, leg, and back - didn't know straight away with any of them.

Broken wrists and ankles dont present like classic broken bones. I think its because they have so many little pieces that can break that you dont always get the classic swelling. However its v v important that you get it xrayed. If it is one of the small bones and she keeps usimg it she can cause huge long term damage to the wrist and may loose the ability to use her hand correctly if it heals displaced. Please get her xrayed. The potential downside is huge.

Also, while you are waiting for an xray, tell her to not twist or rotate her arm or hand at all (that is the main motion that would displace the broken bits)

Probably not. I have broken nearly 20 bones and probably there was only one that I wasn't in enough pain for it to not be immediately obvious there was a break and that was only because I didn't want to be put it plaster so badly that I faked being okay for four days. I'd give it a few days and see if it improves. 5 hour waits in A&E are very boring for kids.

First time dc featured his arm, no bruising or swelling and we took him to A&E the next day, only because he started to say it really hurt. He carted on playing after he done it.

Second time again the same but he said it was broken he was sure of it even though again the pain wasn't too bad. Obviously he was right.

Fractured not featured

Google your nearest Minor Injuries unit, they are usually great at quick turn around for this type of injury. We found our nearest unit when our daughter hurt her foot, and she was seen and x-Rayed within half an hour.
Hope it turns out ok

I agree with PP that i would get it checked out to be on the safe side.

You can check to see if you have a local minor injuries unit with an x ray dept, or if you can get an emergency GP appointment, they can do referrals direct to the x ray dept to hopefully save waiting times. If they're are not an option then i would opt for a+e

I'd get it checked.
Hopefully it isn't though.

As some one who is currently recovering from a broken bone.

Please, please take your DD to A&E today............

The most obvious signs of a break are usually swelling and it being painful to touch, but that said it isn't always obvious and it's worth getting it checked just in case.

One of my dcs broke his arm and had no swelling or bruising.

One child fractured wrist at school and it was ‘fine’. No swelling or bruising but painful. X-ray showed the fracture. My other child broke his wrist, straight though. Totally obvious, wonky wrist, EXTREEM agony. Didn’t see it swell or bruise because we were in hospital having it set very quickly. There are many different degrees of fracture in wrists. I would get it checked.

Thanks for all the advice. I took her to minor injuries at 8, and they've x rayed her.

They're worried it might be a scaphoid fracture - they can't see it on the x ray because apparently it often doesn't show up for a few weeks, but they've put her in plaster as a precautionary measure.

She'll have another x ray in two weeks to see if it really is broken.

Ouch! I have broken my scaphoid bones in both wrists multiple times in my youth as I was in quite a competitive sport & fell lots in the process.

Is the cast a long one (above the elbow) Below the elbow won t immobilize it sufficiently for a scaffold fracture

Scaphoid fractures are painful - I've done both my wrists. Make sure she rests up - and takes some calcium tablets too.

You don't need an above elbow cast for a scaphoid fracture.
The thumb & wrist needs to be immobilised ("throwing a dart" position) but even then, new research is suggesting that thumb immobilisation unnecessary

No, not about elbow, just lower arm/thumb

*above