Sprained Wrist vs Broken Wrist

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By: Daniel Dongo, Certified Athletic Trainer

Bones of the Wrist

The wrist is made up of the distal Ulna and Radius bones, 8 small carpal bones, and 5 metacarpal bones. This means that there are over twenty joints in the wrist alone. 

These joints are all held together by many different ligaments, making for a very intricate, delicate, and complex structure. One can injure or cause fractures of the wrist in many ways.  The most common method is falling on an outstretched hand or FOOSH. Gymnasts, cheerleaders, skateboarders, and snowboarders commonly have fractures or sprain their wrists due to FOOSH.  In this article, we hope to provide you with the information to know the difference between a sprain of the wrist and fractures of the wrist bones. 

Sprained Wrist vs Broken – What’s the Difference?

Now, how can you tell if it’s a sprained wrist vs broken wrist? A deformity of the bone is the easiest way to tell that you have a broken bone.  Such as a bone sticking out or nearly sticking out of the skin.  However, a sprained wrist vs broken wrist is not that easy.  We recommend that you see an orthopedic physician who can make that diagnosis.  Sometimes we find that mild pain in the wrist could end up being a fracture.  However, a very painful wrist or severe pain could be just a sprain or a fracture.  Therefore, the best decision is to get your injury evaluated by a physician who may use diagnostic testing to confirm their diagnosis. Fractures and broken bones can be confirmed with an X-ray. 

A Painful Wrist

You don’t want to find out too late that you had a broken bone or that you have a severe sprain. This could lead to improper healing or deformity or even necrosis or bone death. 

Dr. Garry Kitay states that “although most wrist injuries can be treated with bracing and rest, certain conditions need urgent attention to avoid long term harm. These include several types of ligament ruptures and unstable fractures. If you have a very painful wrist or you are not improving quickly, seek medical attention.” Dr. Kitay is a board-certified physician by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and he practices at the JOI San Marco location.

If you want to learn more about wrist sprains, please watch this VIDEO.

Sprained Wrist vs Broken

 

Most Common Types of Fractures for a Broken Wrist

Most of the time, a fracture of the wrist is very painful with movement and to touch.  The wrist is very swollen and it develops quickly.  The most common type of wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture.  The radius bone is the bone in the forearm on your thumb side.  The distal aspect of this bone is closest to your wrist.

The 2nd most common type of fracture in the wrist is a scaphoid fracture, one of the carpal bones located at the base of the thumb. This fracture is sometimes difficult to see on an x-ray and takes a long time to heal due to the poor blood supply it receives. 

If you have tenderness at the base of your thumb that doesn’t seem to go away, it would be wise to seek further evaluation from an orthopedic doctor. 

Anatomy of Hand – Sprained Wrist vs Broken

Treatment and Healing for Wrist Pain or Strained Wrist

Treatment options for sprains and fractures can be as simple as ice, rest, and immobility using a brace.  It may take just a few weeks to heal, or as severe as needing surgery.  Surgery would entail putting in plates and screws to realign the fracture.  Therefore, this may take many months to heal. 

It is not often that a sprain requires surgery, but sometimes it is necessary. 

In summary, only a skilled physician can determine the proper diagnosis of a wrist fracture vs a wrist sprain. Both injuries may need further medical attention, and it is important to get these injuries evaluated properly.

The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute offers the area’s top Wrist & Hand Specialists.  If you hurt your wrist, we can help. 

Related Articles: Fractures of the Wrist, Bones in the Wrist and Painful Wrist. 

To schedule an appointment for physical therapy at one of the 12 JOI Rehab Centers, please call 904-858-7045.

If you need to schedule an appointment with a JOI Orthopedic Hand and Wrist Specialist, please call (904)JOI-2000, schedule online, or click below.