How long does it take to get full range of motion after broken wrist?

In most cases, a patient who has undergone internal fixation surgery for a distal radius fracture may begin gentle wrist range of motion within 1 to 2 weeks of surgery, after which time a removable splint is used to support the hand.

How long for a broken wrist to get back to normal?

In most cases it takes around 6 to 8 weeks to recover from a broken arm or wrist. It can take longer if your arm or wrist was severely damaged. You will need to wear your plaster cast until the broken bone heals.

How long does stiffness last after broken wrist?

Almost all patients will have some stiffness in the wrist, which will generally diminish in the month or two after the cast is taken off or after surgery, and will continue to improve for at least two years. You should expect your recovery to take at least a year.

How do I regain mobility after broken wrist?

How do you get the range of motion back in your wrist?

With your free hand, hold the fingers of your outstretched hand and gently pull fingers towards you until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your wrist. Repeat this exercise again, but have your fingers facing UP towards the ceiling with your palm still facing in towards your body.

Learning About a Broken Wrist and Understanding the Recovery

Why can't I make a fist after wrist fracture?

In some cases, your wrist may look bent or hang differently. Making a fist can be challenging with a wrist fracture as well. It's common for wrist fractures to include additional damage such as ligament injury, wrist sprains or dislocation.

How long after wrist surgery can I bend my wrist?

This fixation is designed to be strong enough to allow you to move your wrist within the first few weeks of surgery. It will take about six weeks for your bone to heal and another six weeks for the bone to be almost as strong as it was before.

When should I start strengthening after a distal radius fracture?

You will start these exercises 5-7 days after surgery, at your first hand therapy visit. Do the wrist/forearm/thumb exercises 3x/day out of your splint. The finger exercises can be done in the splint, every 2 hours.

Why are my fingers so stiff after wrist fracture?

Finger stiffness after treatment of skeletal trauma to the hand is a challenging problem frequently faced by hand surgeons. In this setting, fingers can become stiff from joint contractures and/or from adhesions of the tendons to the surrounding soft tissues, bones, or hardware.

Do you need physical therapy after broken wrist?

A broken wrist is often a serious injury that can set you back for a while, but seeing a physical therapist during the recovery period will help ensure that you're making your way back to full strength in the safest and fastest manner possible.

Why are my fingers stiff after breaking my wrist?

Closed Reduction Recovery

After the cast is removed, it's normal for the wrist to be stiff for 1 to 2 months. For some patients—such as those who are older, have osteoarthritis, or were victims of a high energy break such as from a car accident— this stiffness may last up to 2 years.

Should I wear a wrist brace after cast removal?

You should have been given a removable splint when your cast was removed. Continue to wear this at night and for protection in busy environments, such as on public transport. It is important to start wrist exercises as soon as the cast is removed.

What happens if a broken wrist doesn't heal properly?

After a bone is broken (fractured), the body will start the healing process. If the two ends of the broken bone are not lined up properly, the bone can heal with a deformity called a malunion. A malunion fracture occurs when a large space between the displaced ends of the bone have been filled in by new bone.

How do I know my fracture is healing?

Most doctors check x-rays to see if bones are healing. The calcified blood clot around the fractured ends of the bones will show up on x-rays and is called “callus”. Callus is just new bone that has formed and grown across the fracture site. It's another sign that the broken bone is healed.

How do you rehab a wrist?

How do you rehab a distal radius fracture?

Rehabilitation of distal radius fractures is divided into 3 stages: splinting (for edema control), mobilization, and strengthening. With appropriate rehabilitation, typical outcomes for wrist flexion, extension, pronation, and supination at 1-year follow-up are 59°, 63°, 80°, and 81°, respectively.

How painful is a distal radius fracture?

Immediate sharp pain after the accident takes place. Sometimes the fracture may be accompanied by the sound or the sensation of a bone breaking. You may experience abnormal swelling and tenderness in the wrist immediately that only worsens. A numbness that doesn't allow you to move your fingers or hand.

Is a bone completely healed when a cast comes off?

During this “remodeling”, the body can straighten the fractured bone by laying new bone on the inside edge, and taking away bone on the outside of the angled area. In young children, bones can remodel fairly large angles, healing to appear completely normal within one to two years.

How long does it take for nerves to heal after wrist surgery?

Nerves heal about one inch per month. You'll have follow-up appointments with your surgeon, during which he determines how your nerve regeneration is progressing. Nerve fibers have to grow down the full length of the damaged nerve to where the nerve and muscle intersect. That can take between six months to one year.

How common is surgery for a broken wrist?

In the majority of cases, surgery isn't necessary for wrist fractures. Your doctor may be able to reset the fracture, put a splint and then a cast on your wrist, and wait for the bones to heal. Regular X-rays will be performed to make sure your wrist is healing as it should.

What to expect after you break your wrist?

Complications of a broken wrist are rare, but they might include: Ongoing stiffness, aching or disability. Stiffness, pain or aching in the affected area generally goes away eventually after your cast is removed or after surgery. However, some people have permanent stiffness or pain.

What to expect after a cast is removed?

After having a cast removed, it is normal to experience pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion in the area(s) that were immobilized. Symptoms can last up to twice the amount of immobilization time. For Example, if the patient was in a cast for 3-4 weeks, symptoms may last up to 6-8 weeks.