Is my wrist bruised, sprained or broken?

An injury to the wrist can cause a range of symptoms, from simple bruising in the soft tissue to a fracture (also known as a break in one of the many wrist bones). If an injury involves a lot of force such as a fall from a height, then the injuries tend to be more severe, but even minor-seeming injuries can cause significant damage to the ligaments and bones in the wrist.

We've asked leading consultant plastic and hand surgeon Mr Frederik Schreuder to explain how to recognise a serious wrist injury and when it might be time to see a doctor. 

How do you know if you have sustained a serious wrist injury?

Serious wrist injuries tend to cause immediate pain and often dramatic swelling of the wrist. Bruising in the area may become apparent very quickly after the injury and you may feel sick and shaky immediately after a significant injury.

Serious wrist injuries include fractures of one of the wrist bones which may cause an obvious deformity. With an injury like this, you are advised to go straight to A&E for an x-ray.

Some fractures, such as those of the scaphoid bone, don’t show up on the initial x-ray and you may be placed in a cast as a precautionary measure. Another reason that nothing may show up on the x-ray is if the injury involves one of the wrist ligaments and an MRI scan may be needed to diagnose this.
 

When should I see a doctor?

Sometimes a wrist injury may seem minor at the time of the injury with only very minimal swelling and bruising. If the bruising is only minor and in the soft tissues then it should settle within a week or two with rest and anti-inflammatories or simple painkillers.

Pain that lasts longer may indicate a sprain, which is usually a partial injury to one of the ligaments in the wrist. Sprains may need an ultrasound scan or MRI to diagnose and may require a period of rest or immobilisation in a splint followed by physiotherapy. However, significant ligament injuries and even a scaphoid fracture may masquerade as a wrist sprain. Therefore if you have symptoms that persist for longer than you expect it is worthwhile getting your wrist pain investigated.

Do not hesitate to book an appointment with Mr Schreuder if you have a hand or wrist injury that is not healing.