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distal radius fracture(wrist) recovery time?

Original Post
Jesse Yeaples · · Denver, Colorado · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 5

I broke my wrist and had surgery done a week ago. the doc put a plate in my wrist. supposed to have this splint/cast taken off in a week and there going to put a removeable cast and have me start pt. I was super pumped for climbing season coming up but with it still being snow boarding season i was riding during the day and hiting the climbing gym in the evening.Broke wrist boarding. so im not doing neither.sucks but i know ill be back at it soon enough. Ive been a solid 5.9/ 5.10 climber and was realy geting the 5.11+ down with intensions to climb much harder by the end of summer. then this happened! just wondering about recovery time, PT, training i can do while recovering. Any advice will help. In the meen time I want to be the photagrapher for my climbing partners and could use some advice on that as well. Im thinking self repel with my gri gri? thanks, and pull some rock for me!

Leo Paik · · Westminster, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 22,800

The general recommendation is 6 weeks for fractures to heal. Now that is for ordinary activities. You're not fully strong at 6 weeks. Remember, strength curves are curves. If you take it easier than you would ordinarily, you can get back into climbing at 6 weeks; however, you should expect 12 weeks to get to near maximum strength. Sure, there are anecdotes of folks doing more earlier, but they got away with luck.

braden herbst · · wyoming · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 80

Do all your pt religiously, carefully consider doctors recomendations, and belay me until your strong enough to climb!

lperitz22 · · Berkeley, CA · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 121

Hi Jesse,
I hope your wrist recovered fully from the distal radius fracture. what type of fracture was it? articular surface?
I just broke the same spot in a bike crash. bummed it ends my climbing season early. how long til you were back to climbing / do you have full strength again?

thanks,
Lauren

Eldo Love · · Mancos,CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 125

Worst thing you can do is climb on it before its ready. I had a very similar experience and took my cast off early to climb... two years later and my wrist feels like its 60 years old (I'm only 23). Bummer.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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