Is My Wrist Broken or Sprained?

Wrist injuries can occur from a fall, a hard hit, or a sudden twist of the wrist. For example, you might slip on ice in your driveway and break a bone when you fall on your hand. Or your young hockey player might block a goal and end up with a sprained wrist. So, you might question, “Is my wrist broken or sprained?”

Understanding Wrist Fracture

A wrist fracture means there is a break in a bone. The break can be a simple crack where the bone stays in place, or it can be displaced. It causes the bone to be out of alignment. The most common wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture. This happens at the end of the long radius bone in the forearm. Another type is called a scaphoid fracture. It affects one of the eight small round bones in the wrist.

Understanding Wrist Sprain

A wrist sprain happens when a ligament is damaged. Ligaments are strong tissues that connect bones. Sprains occur when ligaments are stretched or torn beyond their normal limits. Sprains are often graded as 1, 2, or 3, depending on how many ligaments. It also depends on whether they are affected, stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. Wrist sprains often involve injury to the scapholunate ligament, which connects the scaphoid bone to the lunate bone in the wrist.

How to Tell If a Child’s Wrist Is Broken or Sprained?

To figure out if a child’s wrist is broken or sprained, parents can look for specific signs linked to each injury. Following is how you can spot the difference.

Signs of a Broken Wrist

• Pain: Sharp, immediate pain at the injury site that gets worse with movement or pressure.
• Swelling and Bruising: Rapid swelling and bruising around the wrist, often showing as black-and-blue marks.
• Deformity: The wrist might look bent or out of shape, suggesting a possible fracture.
• Difficulty Moving: Limited ability to move the wrist, hand, or fingers, possibly with weakness.
• Numbness or Tingling: These feelings may happen if there’s nerve damage or swelling pressing on nerves.
• Snapping Noise: A clear snapping or popping sound might be heard when the injury occurs.

Signs of a Sprained Wrist

• Pain: Pain is usually less severe than a fracture and more focused around the joint.
• Swelling: Swelling may happen but is often less noticeable than with a fracture.
• Tenderness: The wrist may feel tender when touched, especially over the ligaments.
• Limited Range of Motion: There may be some trouble moving the wrist, but it’s usually less serious than with a fracture.
• No Visible Deformity: Unlike fractures, sprains usually don’t cause the wrist to look visibly out of shape.

What to Do If a Wrist Injury Happens?

Before determining, “Is my wrist broken or sprained?” Follow these steps to provide first aid.

• Immobilize the wrist using a splint, brace, or makeshift support like a ruler, stick, or rolled-up newspaper. This prevents further injury.
• Elevate the wrist above heart level to help reduce swelling.
• Apply ice packs wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes at a time, 4-8 times on the first day. This helps control pain and swelling.
• Take over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen as needed. Avoid aspirin in children under 18.
• Seek immediate medical care if there is severe pain, visible deformity, numbness, or inability to move the wrist, as these may indicate a fracture. Support the wrist and get to a doctor or emergency room right away.
• If symptoms are milder, you can wait to see if it improves with home treatment. But see a doctor if pain and swelling worsen within 24 hours or persist for more than a few days. An x-ray can rule out a fracture.

Wrapping Up

Sprains and fractures are alike in many ways. Therefore, it becomes harder to differentiate between them. Knowing “Is my wrist broken or sprained?” can help you with the first aid before you reach your doctor.

Visit Dr. Luo at Randy Y. Luo, MD, MBA. Our board-certified orthopedic surgeon is a hand and upper extremity specialist with years of experience. Call us at any of the following numbers:

Houston- (713) 794-3307
Houston – (713) 799-2300
SugarLand – (713) 794-3457