Fractured Scaphoid/ wrist injuries - your experience?

About a month ago, a serious impact on an outstretched palm left me with a fracture in my left scaphoid (wrist). Just now starting to accept the seriousness of the injury.

For those of you who have had a similar injury:
-How long did it take you to heal?
-Did you do physical therapy after cast/splint came off?
-Have you ever gotten back to full Range of motion in that wrist?
-Did grip strength in that hand return to normal eventually?
-Do you have nagging pain or limitations long after the injury?

Many thanks for your input. I'm trying to be smarter now about this healing, and minimize long-term effect. Any help would be much appreciated.

My son did that skateboarding. He didn't get it checked until it kept hurting 8 weeks after. He tried bouldering on it and likely reinjured it. X-Ray showed a broken scaphoid which is very slow to heal due to a poor blood supply. 3 months in a cast with no activity using that hand. It eventually healed well. Luckily no surgery was needed.

Good luck. Be patient.

-How long did it take you to heal?

I got a super stiff belay on a sport lead fall, got yanked sideways, and swung straight in to the cliff on my open left hand. 1 month before I figured out it was a fractured scaphoid and not a sprain, then 10 weeks in a cast, then 6 weeks before I was climbing at a reasonable level again (but still over a full number grade below my redpoint level). Early prognosis: Looked like I was going to need surgery, but then it healed nicely. However, I came back too hard too quickly and ended up tweaking a tendon in the same hand 6-7 months after the fall. In the end, it was over a year before I was fully injury free.

-Did you do physical therapy after cast/splint came off?

I stuck with the PT regimen I was given for several months after the cast came off.

-Have you ever gotten back to full Range of motion in that wrist?

Yes, but it took well over a year to get the full range of motion back.

-Did grip strength in that hand return to normal eventually?

Yes the grip strength was back fairly quickly, but the connective tissue was weakened from the extended lack of use. Thus the finger injury when I pushed it too hard too soon

-Do you have nagging pain or limitations long after the injury?

Almost none, but I do feel a small amount of pain in my wrist on occasion. Probably expecting some arthritis in there later in life.

Feel free to PM me.

I broke my scaphoid snowboarding about 5 years ago and was initially misdiagnosed as a sprain by two different doctors. The injury then became a non-union fracture. I had two surgeries, one including a bone graft and screw, which still didn't heal the fracture - as well as being in and out of casts for over a year. I've answered your individual questions below. Let me know if you have any additional ones.

Cliff M wrote:How long did it take you to heal?

About a year and a half from the initial fall.

Cliff M wrote:Did you do physical therapy after cast/splint came off?

Yes. I did after my second surgery, but it didn't seem to help much for me though.

Cliff M wrote:Have you ever gotten back to full Range of motion in that wrist?

No. Apparently my range of motion in the wrist is considered "normal" for most people, but it's about half of what it was before and compared to my other wrist. I don't expect to ever get my full range of motion back.

Cliff M wrote:Did grip strength in that hand return to normal eventually?

That hand is definitely weaker, but it's also my non-dominant hand. I don't think the injury has caused any long-term strength limitations.

Cliff M wrote:Do you have nagging pain or limitations long after the injury?

No limitations, but occasionally there is pain if I've been climbing or exercising hard for while. My best guess is it's the beginnings of arthritis due to the surgeries I've had. Mostly I get pain in the wrist after doing push ups or "pressing" type weight lifts. I don't notice it much when climbing.

I broke the scaphoid in my left wrist a few years back. It took a week for me to go to the ER, where they diagnosed it as a sprain and gave me a wrist brace which didn't immobilize the thumb (and therefore wasn't doing any good). After another week with no improvement, I went to a hand surgeon. I was in a cast with thumb immobilization for about 10 weeks total (at one point they took the cast off, checked it, and put a new one back on).
After I got the cast off, I did physical therapy to work on strength and range of motion. I did PT for 2-3 months. No lingering problems at all, it is good as new.

Physical therapy is really important because they are focused on function and work with you several times a week, and can really get to know your specific injury and recovery goals, and adjust the recovery plan as needed.

Good luck!

Dave, Joe, Ryan, Em,

Thanks so much for your responses. This definitely helps give me perspective on length of healing time and long-term outlook. Within the last 6 weeks, I was in a splint, then a cast, and then back into a splint. The second splint didn't immobilize the thumb, and I noticed that pain returned. Today I was put back into a cast. Hopefully this will allow my body to do the healing it needs for the long term.
Thanks!

I fell off of a bridge in Alaska in 2008 and broke my scaphoid and tore a tendon. I had two screws in the scaphoid and a suture anchor to reattach the tendon. I was told that I would probably never regain full use of my right wrist, but 1.5 months after surgery I began occupational/physical therapy. That took another 4.5 months. After I finished that I was able to get back into strength training and almost completely recovered. I have full flexion, but am a few degrees short in extension. I actually didn't start climbing until after all of this, and I can lead 5.10's now and follow some 5.11, so keep your head up.

Cliff

I broke my scaphoid in 1983, starting a generator & it 'kicked back'. A classic injury of the car starting handle days.

After a delayed diagnosis of about 6 weeks, I had 4 surgeries over the next 6 years, 2 pins that were unsuccessful, then two bone grafts, one from the hip & then one from the metacarpals. The latter was a success, probably due to the grafted bone being similar density as the scaphoid..? Anyway, I did heal. I stated climbing not long after the last surgery & am sure that getting pumped & forcing blood flow into my wrist helped healing. The scaphoid is renowned for not healing well due to the lack of blood supply, dead end vein? I did do physical therapy for a month or so. After 28 yrs, I do not have full range of motion. Cannot do a handstand. Mountain biking on rough terrain aggravates it & prolonged use of a hammer or similar tool also. However, my grip strength is fine. I did take a lot of the homeopathic remedy, arnica, calcium supplements & tried to limit actions that aggravated, like the twisting action of using a can opener. I personally think climbing has been great for strengthening the whole area. The downside is the tenderness of the scar tissue on rock when I stuff my hand in a crack!
Good Luck

Good for you for being proactive and getting it checked out. I broke my scaphoid snowboarding and thought it was just a sprain. After a couple weeks the pain went away and I had 95% strength and range of motion. That summer I climbed el cap twice and worked landscaping. After 8 months with still some lingering issues and some sporadic pain I went to the doctor and found out it was broke. 3 months in a cast did not heal it and then went for surgery. they were supposed to bone graft but the doc said there was cartiledge built up and good fluid movement. I was climbing 4 months post surgery (12,000 dollars w/o insurance btw) now I have full range of movement and full strength. The only thing that ever aggravates it is whitewater kayaking. I think it is the cold combined with wrist rotation, but it never bothers me climbing. The only real issue I have is slight numbness in the top of my hand where the doc hit a nerve. My advice is DONT use it, get it brtaced or casted and stay off it. Getting surgery earlier is better than waiting. Try and see a specialist. I saw a wrist guy in Bend Oregon that delt with these injuries all the time due to the proximity of the ski resort.

Cliff,
I broke my scaphoid about 11 years ago. I was lowered of the end of a top rope, knot your ends!!
Anyway, after initially being threaten with surgery I spent about 12 weeks in two different casts. My Doc tried to impress upon me the seriousness of breaking this tiny bone but caught me skiing so the second cast was full arm. Don't mess around, give it time to heal. I'm no Doctor but the lack of blood supply can cause that little sucker to heal improperly or start to suffer avascular necrosis. It dies leading to wicked bad arthritis.

I didn't do any official PT just started climbing and stretching.
I don't and never have had the same range of motion as my "good" wrist.
Grip strength did return to normal. Being my dominant hand it's stronger.
Nagging pain and periods of even more reduced range of motion have come and gone. Have never really figured out what causes it to get angry.

All and all the injury doesn't effect my climbing. Though I'm a tragically average climber

Let start 10 years ago. Soccer field girl trips me fall down. Think nothing of it till later. I said to my mom mind you is a nurse in nurse but a nurse none the less. She informed me I was fine and I just sprained my wrist. Since then I did take kwon doe.rock climbing lefting heavy dogs into tubs. Finally my mom had enough I complained of one to many times. Go see someone she said. I know a great sport medicine doctor. So in June of this year I did. Dr. Walk in this is exactly what he says. You know you broke your wrist. Oh by the I'm so and so. He sits down proceeds to tell me I have already called a hand surgeon. Saw the hand surgeon that week.met with hand surgeon liked him surgery was scheduled monday.I was grateful he could fit me in he was going on vacation the following week after surgery. One thing I will say I swear that hand surgeon must practice with plastic surgeon I'm going to barely have a scar. Presently I'm in a cool wrist brace see doctor this week

Let start 10 years ago. Soccer field girl trips me fall down. Think nothing of it till later. I said to my mom mind you is a nurse in nurse but a nurse none the less. She informed me I was fine and I just sprained my wrist. Since then I did take kwon doe.rock climbing lefting heavy dogs into tubs. Finally my mom had enough I complained of one to many times. Go see someone she said. I know a great sport medicine doctor. So in June of this year I did. Dr. Walk in this is exactly what he says. You know you broke your wrist. Oh by the I'm so and so. He sits down proceeds to tell me I have already called a hand surgeon. Saw the hand surgeon that week.met with hand surgeon liked him surgery was scheduled monday.I was grateful he could fit me in he was going on vacation the following week after surgery. One thing I will say I swear that hand surgeon must practice with plastic surgeon I'm going to barely have a scar. Presently I'm in a cool wrist brace see doctor this week

I fractured mine 8 years ago. In a cast for six weeks, didnt heal, slightly displaced, had a screw put in. Healed up fine. Back to climbing in eight months or so. Didnt do any PT but took a while to get ROM back. Still have less ROM in the injured wrist.

I tore a bunch of ligaments in the wrist as well. They cant really fix those. Some MDs will say they can, but I consulted with multiple and the consensus was to not do additional surgery. Subsequent doctors have confirmed I made the correct call.

Wrist gives me trouble at times, but I wouldnt say it prevents me from doing stuff.

Long term, my docs consider the instability from ligament damage to be biggest concern. Probably fusion surgery in a couple decades....all well at moment though.

I broke mine 35 years ago. Like a lot of people above, I thought it was sprained at first and went at least a month before diagnosis. I spent 19 weeks in a cast and then returned to wrestling and other sports without a problem but with a limited range of motion. About 10 years ago, I had an xray for a broken hand and the doctor told me the scaphoid had never healed. It hasn't been a problem yet and certainly hasn't limited climbing in any way but maybe I'll get arthritis when I get really old.