Riding with a fractured metacarpal

I rode thirty miles home with a fractured kneecap once. And did the last four hours of 24/12 with a cracked rib.

I was much less able to ride once the adrenaline had worn off.... You might find it's gets worse before it gets better 

.

I currently have a broken arm🙈 Golfie, twos ago last Saturday. Absolutely no chance of riding, although hopefully on the turbo this week🤞

I've finished a Peaks ride with a broken collarbone (inner end) including the second half of Jacob's Ladder and a climb/descent over Hollins Cross.

I've also ridden 7-8 miles home with a broken thumb.

The main thing I learned from these is that once the adrenaline has subsided and your body isn't running hot any more, the true extent of the injury becomes apparent.

I wouldn't advise rushing recovery or riding on it when broken. I would advise lots of ice for 20 mins then nothing then ice again. Once the initial swelling has gone down, make that ice then heat. It is the single most effective thing I've found for healing of bone and soft tissue injuries.

I bust one skiing just before Covid. Usual nominal 6 week healing period for a simple break. 
I carried on skiing for a few days after I’d done it - taped the fingers of my glove together. Pole plants were a bit cautious but otherwise no great shakes. 
On return to the uk, the MI unit we’re horrified that I’d driven there and slapped it in plaster. The fracture clinic when I got there a few weeks later were horrified I’d ridden my bike there, but then how else was I supposed too when I can’t drive???

Road riding was generally fine, but cattle grids were one handed for a while…

Which metacarpal?

Many years ago I slipped going up the stairs I ended up with a spiral fracture of my 5th metacarpal. The nurse at AE was less than sympathetic at first as it's a classic fighting injury! I think they just taped my little finger to my ring finger but it's that long ago I'm not certain.

I seem to remember I was mountain biking within about a week, it was a bit painful but bearable. It healed fine.

Fourth I think. Not sure as sat in A&E for 2 and a half hours, then a nurse made an announcement to the waiting room that it was really slow and they had 8 kids coming over from another overloaded department who would have to be seen first. Offered appointments for the following day but I have to be in Kent, as there was a queue at the desk I just went home without even seeing triage. They phoned me a couple of hours later wondering where I was....

It'll be reet! Probably.

Which hospital is that?

I went in with my arm expecting a long wait (book and snacks) Triaged in five minutes, given gas and air, in x-ray twenty minutes after that. Borders General at about 5pm on a Saturday. I was expecting something more like your experience given what you hear on the news

Bit further South, Worthing.

Couldn't really get much further south!

I did my fourth doing an OTB into a shrubbery last summer. Just riding along the canal path a few days later was murder. As was trying to ride Tignes and then Morzine about a week later. So I ended up taping a strip of folded microfibre cloth to the inner and also the outer ends of my handlebar grip, essentially making a channel underneath where the break was. It made a massive difference in isolating the fracture from the trail buzz. (And to being able to enjoy an Alps holiday with my pals.) About 3 weeks after that I was only just noticing it, and now I’ve just a lump halfway down to show for it. 

FWIW I didn’t bother with A&E as I was certain what I’d done, and that the bones on either side would splint it. Which they did, to no ill effect. Happy days. 

Happy mending! 

I did all of my 4ths and it took ages for my hand to recover, like more than 6 months, mostly because I wouldn't stop using it, including shaking people's hands .  Rest it properly and I'd say you'd be good to go in 6-8 weeks tops.