Questions about broken wrists? Dr. Shors has answers. How can I tell if my wrist is broken or just sprained? It can be difficult to tell whether a wrist is broken or sprained and the only definitive method is an xray of the wrist. However, if there is obvious deformity to the wrist, or you can't not move it at all, you should go to the emergency room immediately. If there is severe bruising or swelling, point tenderness, and significant pain that is lasting more than a day then it is a good idea to get an xray and see a physician. What happens if a wrist fracture is left untreated? If a hand surgeon sees a patient right after a wrist is fractured, we usually can achieve Heidi Shors, MD Orthopedics an excellent result for the patient and often the treatment only requires a cast or brace. If the patient leaves the fracture untreated, it can heal in a malformed position and cause permanent pain and lack of function. In certain fractures, the bones can not heal when not immobilized and the patient ends up with a condition called a "malunion" which is a much more difficult condition to treat and can lead to worse outcomes. Does a broken wrist always require surgery? Certainly not. Most often a wrist fracture requires a cast for about 4-6 weeks. The majority of strength of the bone is obtained by 12 weeks after the fracture, but many people can get back to activities sooner than that. Only a small percentage of wrist fractures need surgery because the bone is too out of place to heal correctly in a cast. What made you decide to pursue orthopedics? My interest in orthopedics was sparked through sports and particularly when I played basketball in college and many of my teammates had orthopedic injuries requiring surgery. My father was an emergency room physician and his stories of work always intrigued me. The combination of observing my fathers career and then living some of these injuries myself and through teammates pushed me to pursue a career in orthopedics. During my residency, I then became interested in studying the hand and elbow specifically. For more information, call (406) 752-5170 or visit krh.org/orthopedics. KALISPELL REGIONAL HEALTHCARE Questions about broken wrists? Dr. Shors has answers. How can I tell if my wrist is broken or just sprained? It can be difficult to tell whether a wrist is broken or sprained and the only definitive method is an xray of the wrist. However, if there is obvious deformity to the wrist, or you can't not move it at all, you should go to the emergency room immediately. If there is severe bruising or swelling, point tenderness, and significant pain that is lasting more than a day then it is a good idea to get an xray and see a physician. What happens if a wrist fracture is left untreated? If a hand surgeon sees a patient right after a wrist is fractured, we usually can achieve Heidi Shors, MD Orthopedics an excellent result for the patient and often the treatment only requires a cast or brace. If the patient leaves the fracture untreated, it can heal in a malformed position and cause permanent pain and lack of function. In certain fractures, the bones can not heal when not immobilized and the patient ends up with a condition called a "malunion" which is a much more difficult condition to treat and can lead to worse outcomes. Does a broken wrist always require surgery? Certainly not. Most often a wrist fracture requires a cast for about 4-6 weeks. The majority of strength of the bone is obtained by 12 weeks after the fracture, but many people can get back to activities sooner than that. Only a small percentage of wrist fractures need surgery because the bone is too out of place to heal correctly in a cast. What made you decide to pursue orthopedics? My interest in orthopedics was sparked through sports and particularly when I played basketball in college and many of my teammates had orthopedic injuries requiring surgery. My father was an emergency room physician and his stories of work always intrigued me. The combination of observing my fathers career and then living some of these injuries myself and through teammates pushed me to pursue a career in orthopedics. During my residency, I then became interested in studying the hand and elbow specifically. For more information, call (406) 752-5170 or visit krh.org/orthopedics. KALISPELL REGIONAL HEALTHCARE