Scaphoid and radius

[swrmb17]

I fell over on Thursday evening and landed heavily on my outstretched hand. It was agony!
I left it over night to see how it felt in the morning but the pain was just as bad.
So I took a trip to the local walk in centre, they x-rayed my wrist and the nurse told me I had fractured my scaphoid and a little fracture on the top of my radius, another nurse popped her head in and said it looked like shadows to her.
The original nurse put it in a Velcro splint and said I will receive a call for an appointment with fracture clinic at a proper A&E where they have the proper facilities.
This was now 4 days ago and I have had no phone call for an appointment.
It's causing me so my discomfort especially having a 6 month old baby.
I have a few questions if anyone can help, will I likely get a cast or do you think the second nurse got it right and it was only shadows? Why didn't they put a more supportive cast on to begin with? What should I do??
Sorry for the confusing post

I broke my radius just before christmas and was in a cast for 4 weeks.
I would give fracture clinic a call.
hope it gets better soon.

I would call. Scaphoid fracture can be hard to see till it starts healing so they apparently cast it just in case then re check it. They can take a while to heal too so I’d give them a call. You can usually call the fracture clinic direct?

Scaphoid fracture needs to be seen to. Dh had one last summer and if left untreated can lead to serious ongoing issues. Chase them up. He had a cast on for 6 weeks up to his elbow and then a splint.

I would have thought a cast would have been put on to start with, that's why I'm now wondering if it is just shadows and that's why only a splint? Thanks for your replies

Scaphoid fractures don't always show up straight away on X-rays, hence need for a check and usually another set of X-rays in a week or so. Cast or splint both achieve largely similar outcome - basically keeping your wrist still. Careful what you wish for - a cast is a PITA!
There will be a back-log of people needing fracture clinic appointments after injuries over the weekend, and that is probably why you didn't hear from them today, but you should be able to ring them tomorrow and get an appointment. Maybe call the minor injuries unit first to check that they have passed your details on?

I've broken my scaphoid in my right hand twice. Both times it was difficult to see on the x-ray, the Dr / Consultant in A&E had to get the Ortho consultant to review. The first time I was cast for 12 weeks, second time for 16 weeks, with cast changed between 10-14 days each time due to muscle wastage and the cast becoming too loose. I was cast in various positions but generally from first bend in my fingers with my index finger and thumb making a reverse 'c' so the 2 fingers made an 'o' , and cast up to my elbow.

Call the fracture clinic or just turn up and explain what has happened.

Good luck 🤞, scaphoid fracture is very painful and uncomfortable, you have my sympathy.

If you are cast, invest in a cast cover/protector (available on amazon), they make a huge difference to everyday life, showering, bathing, washing up etc.

I'm currently typing one handed due to scaphoid fracture. Like you I was put in Velcro for 2 days then plastered for last two weeks. It's a royal pita . I'd give them a call , can't hurt surely ?

and if you can afford to, take a couple of private physio sessions as soon as the cast is off. makes such a difference

DD2 fractured her scaphoid and it never showed on stays. In the end she was imoblised for two weeks and in plaster for 6 subsequent weeks.

The plaster position prevented any movement in the thumb but she could use all her fingers. Timing couldn't have been better for her as she was unable to do end of term exams😄😄

✔

Sorry didn't mean to post the tick

As others have said, scaphoid fractures can be difficult to see on x-ray initially. If they decided that there was a fracture then you would be in a cast rather than a splint. They presumably decided that the x-ray was "normal" and the splint is to stop you from injuring it again (and so displacing the fragments) if there is a hidden fracture there after all.

When there was a suspicion of a hidden scaphoid fracture, we used to immobilise the wrist and then x-ray again in 10 days. That's a little antiquated now (although still acceptable and common practice in some places) and most hospitals will just organise a CT scan to reduce the amount of time that you can't use your wrist.

You are probably not coming to any harm while waiting for the fracture clinic appointment (as long as you are in the splint) but it is a shame that things are taking a while. Our patients are all seen in fracture clinic the next day and then you would at least have an idea of what is happening next (splint, cast, CT/MRI, repeat x-ray, etc).

I would give them (either the walk-in centre or local fracture clinic) a call to check that you haven't been missed.