• This topic has 45 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by Joe.
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  • Fractured scaphoid….what are your experiences?
  • mindmap3
    Free Member

    I broke my scaphoid a few weeks ago and am currently missing riding a hell of a lot. Judging by what I’ve been told / read, I’m guessing it’s going to be a while before I’m pedalling again.

    I went straight to A&E and had an X-ray and they thought there was a suspicious line on my radius. I was told to wear a splint until I could be seen at the fracture clinic a week later. In that week the swelling around my wrist reduced but my thumb hurt….a lot. I had a bruise the entire length of my forearm and across the back of my hand.

    The chap at the fracture clinic guessed it was a scaphoid fracture which was confirmed by further X-rays. The fracture is across the waist and has minimal displacement. I’m just over two weeks into my six week period of wearing a cast…I’m literally counting down the days until I’m due back at the fracture clinic.

    I’m trying to be positive about it, but all I’m hearing is that they’re little sods to heal and I’m looking at a long lay off.

    benpinnick
    Full Member

    Get it bolted as soon as you can. That is my advice. I was off the bike for months as they flipped from its healing to its not, once operated on it was 6 weeks and done.

    nickjb
    Free Member

    If you want good news if skip this post. I broke mine 25 years ago. Got misdiagnosed and not treated for ages. Eventually had surgery which was largely unsuccessful. Still gives me pain now. Not too bad, can still ride, but it does hurt especially if I catch it a particular way. Sounds like you caught it early so look after it and get proper treatment.

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    robowns
    Free Member

    Broke mine about 12 years ago, never got operated on it was just left to heal, which meant about two months in plaster. It still hurts now.

    As Nickjb says; if I catch it a certain way it’s painful for the rest of the day at least.

    finbar
    Free Member

    Fractured mine the summer before last falling off my bike. Was extra careful for the rest of the summer (e.g. didn’t drive for the first 6 or 7 weeks or hardly put it under any stress at all), then had a very gradual return to activity.

    It’s healed perfectly, no operation. In fact this post is the first time I’ve thought about it in ages, probably since I last rode the trail I broke it on!

    DT78
    Free Member

    didnt realise I broke both mine, thought I’d sprained. after 3 weeks got them checked and confirmed broken. in plaster for about 3 months. went downhilling in Morzine about 2 weeks after cast off. stupid move as I hurt it again which I think has meant it hasn’t healed correctly. right has a 50% ligament tear as well. doing twisting motions hurts, cant use a screwdriver.

    if I had my time again if get it pinned

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Did mine along with loads of other things, it was one of the least of my issues. 15 years on I have no issues with it at all.

    dc1988
    Full Member

    If you can get away without surgery then that’s a good thing. I think I was told blood flow is around half of what a leg or arm has which is why they take so long to heal. Give it time to heal and don’t rush back or you could have long term issues. And take a look at rehab because you can lose a lot of muscle and strength with it out of action for so long

    devbrix
    Free Member

    Fractured my left scaphoid beginning of March skidding off my commuter avoiding a car taking a corner too wide. Very painful, sore and massive bruise up my arm. Thought I’d watch and wait and continued to ride as really busy full-on with work during lockdown. After about two weeks was no better and really, really sore on a MTB and was starting to think I’d probably fractured my scaphoid. Confirmed by X-ray. Fortunately, only required a splint for 4 weeks. Stayed sore for about 3 months particularly on the MTB.

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    Cheers chaps.

    I’m hoping it’ll fix with it being caught early and it’s fractured in one of the better places. They do seem to be little buggers.

    I’ve broken that wrist before snowboarding and it healed really well. The cast came off a matter of days before I went to Les Arcs and it survived a wrk away.

    The more I hear / read the more concerned I am that it’s going to be a long time before I’m riding again despite it being diagnosed early. My uncle broke his and it was missed and he had to have it pinned.

    sri16v
    Free Member

    Great timing, just broken my scaphoid and capitate after a heavy crash on grass on my mtb, hoping it was just a sprain I carried on riding, knowing deep down it wasnt.

    X ray confirmed breakages next day and I am now in a cast.

    Worried about how much I should be resting the broken wrist? Obviously don’t have much strength or dexterity in it, but doing tasks one handed isn’t always feasible so it is being used quite a bit with varying degrees of pain

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    I’m using my fingers etc but my wrist isn’t doubt much. It’s doing my head in, typing is a ball ache one handed.

    Mine doesn’t hurt but I struggled with the cast being mega sweaty. They changed it on Thursday because my skin was hella sore from sweat. The cast was sopping inside. Next Wednesday is my halfway point and the thought of being put back in a pot fills me with dread.

    aberdeenlune
    Free Member

    I fractured mine after getting bounced off the bike by a careless driver in March 2019. I thought it was just a sprain and didn’t get it x-rayed. It didn’t get any better so eventually got it x rayed 6 months later which confirmed a non union fracture through the waist of the scaphoid. Had it pinned in December last year. The self tapper pulled the 2 parts of the bone together nicely and within 8 weeks or so completely healed. Ligaments are like skipping ropes though due to the length of time I left it.

    Still a bit weak and I have to do knuckle press ups. Also need DI2 to do the front mech shifting.

    dc1988
    Full Member

    Now there’s a good excuse to upgrade to Di2….

    I did struggle at first with shifting the front mech on the road bike, no issues with thumb shifting. A decent wrist brace helps a lot but it definitely takes time to get the strength back

    nickclift
    Free Member

    Did mine about 7 or 8 years ago, initially thought I’d just sprained my wrist, but after a day the pain just wouldn’t shift, so off I toddled to A&E, x-rayed and clear line straight through the scaphoid. Potted up for 6 weeks, the common thought is you then get it rexrayed and have another 6 weeks in pot. I was lucky, it had healed. My advice for what it’s worth, is to take docs advice, take it steady and I know it’s tough, but stay off the bike for a while. I’d even considered cutting a chunk of pot off (bit between finger and thumb) so I could kind of get my hand on the bike grip.
    Never had any grief from it since.
    Happy healing.

    Grump
    Free Member

    Your scaphoid is your scaphoid, so how it heals isn’t the same as how the rest of our scaphoids heal. It might be fine (and it sounds like there’s every chance) or it might be a long and painful road back to the bike.
    I smashed my wrist up pretty badly in 2016 and it took a while to get back to riding as before, but I seem fine guiding in the alps for lots of back to back weeks. I was surprise by the lack of useful stuff on the internet, so wrote a thing. Probably the only useful thing I’ve written for the interwebz. Hopefully it helps: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/scaphoid-stories/

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    Found that whilst trying to read up on it Grum.

    There seem to be far more bad stories than good. I’ve been pinning my hopes on catching it early and it being at the waist rather than the end opposite the blood supply. I just need some hope to hang on to!

    The Americans seem to go straight to pinning it, or they end up with a full arm cast followed by a half cast.

    kula72
    Free Member

    6 years ago did my scaphoid with a few other hand / arm bones. Pinned it. Took a few months before I was happy to ride but you’ll know from physio when it’s right for you. I was mid 40’s with a new baby so no sleep for recovery! No ongoing problems for me so far.

    IvanDobski
    Free Member

    Broke mine in about 2010, 6 weeks in a proper cast and about the same in a wrap around splint. Was on the turbo almost immediately and on the bike shortly after getting the splint off.

    Still aches occasionally but the worst thing was the lack of mobility in the wrist after so long in a support – doing a press-up or pushing open a door made the joint feel really tight and that’s never really improved even with physio etc.

    jkomo
    Full Member

    Fractured mine, just had it in a brace, no plaster. It took 3 months I think, it’s now fine.

    whatyadoinsucka
    Free Member

    Did my left hand one at 15 and then again at 22, takes along time to heal and always misdiagnosed as a sprain till an X-ray 5-7 days later, as others have said low blood flow, mine is fine now 28 years on, but gave me jip for years of doing it, gave me cramp holding a shopping bag for a long time ..

    HarryTuttle
    Full Member

    There are a lot of horrer stories about this, however it can be fine, I broke mine over 20 years ago in a motorbike crash. No displacement so just 6 weeks immobilised, took another couple of weeks for strength and range of motion to return. I’ve had zero issues since, good as new!

    The way it was explained to me was that the blood supply was from one end of the bone only so if this is intact then it can heal well, but slowly. If however this is disrupted then the there are often complications, Hence the very different experiences.

    Good luck with yours.

    core
    Full Member

    Did mine playing indoor football about a decade ago, flat palm against a wall job. Knew straight away I’d broken something, straight to A&E and in plaster that night. 6-8 weeks in a cast and was very careful for a few months after, I’ve never had any problems since.

    It has very poor blood supply so positioning of bones in cast is quite important I gather.

    Don’t shatter your fifth metacarpal though.

    Grump
    Free Member

    @mindmap3 Yup, there’s way more bad news stories on the internet than good news, but it’s just because nobody really bothers typing up the stories of when everything was fine. Hopefully the many “it was fine” comments above will have given you hope, and 6 to 8 weeks off the bike now is nothing in a few months time, you’ll forget all about it. Just make sure to take control of your recovery and if needed have an extra week or 2 off. I’ve had a great time skiing, biking and climbing across my years, but these days I’m wishing the teenage Grum p had had a bit more consideration for older Grum p and paid a bit more attention to healing properly before going back out on the bike…

    big_n_daft
    Free Member

    Mine was 12 weeks in a cast, since then no issues

    Some people are lucky some aren’t, it’s a bone I would be more precautionary about than others

    spicer
    Free Member

    Wait until you think it’s fully healed then wait some more. No point risking breaking it again until you’re certain it’s back to normal.

    Was off the bike for a year with mine (very displaced, bone necrosis, screw and bone graft from radius to instigate bone re-growth), even then took it easy for another 6 months.
    Pretty much fine now and has been for ages (I think I’m 8 years down the line), pressups can ache a bit, and definitely more sensitive than the other wrist if I fall on it. No problems riding though.

    Long term, it’s worth the wait to have it fully healed. If yours isn’t displaced it should be nowhere near as long as mine took!

    davosaurusrex
    Full Member

    Did mine nearly 30 years ago, young and stupid and didn’t let it heal. Full of arthritis now and limited range of movement. As others have said whatever you do take the time to let it heal.

    Would also like Di2 for the road bike for exactly this reason!

    the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    Took mine 5 months to heal fully.

    sri16v
    Free Member

    I’m nearly a week in now and some of these stories are depressing!

    I have a follow up with the hospital tommorow, so will be able to find out the true extent of the damage and the subsequent lay off.

    Off topic

    Looking at smart trainers, any recommendations?

    Looking at the wahoo kickr core, I understand I need to buy a cassette and then its pretty much good to go?

    Any other alternatives, around £800 budget?

    D4declivity
    Free Member

    I had the same fracture as the op 2 years ago, left wrist. When mine was cast I asked about riding and the consultant said he encouraged it. I rode the next day. It was OK on a mtb but too awkward on a road bike.
    However when the cast was changed for a splint it was painful, so rather than potentially delay the healing I gave up until I got the all clear from the doc. I ran and turbo’d instead.
    It’s back to normal now.

    zbonty
    Full Member

    I broke mine about 25 years ago coming off in the local woods. My first bone breakage at the time.
    It was ‘set’ by a clearly inexperienced nurse at the time. It has never been right since.

    I get twinges etc and it is significantly weaker than my right arm/wrist. Infact i had an arm wrestle with the ex a couple of years ago and while she was never going to win i suggested we stop as i thought it might ‘go’!

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    Hospital tomorrow for a review and hopefully the cast to be removed. I think I can deal with a few weeks in a splint but the cast is doing me head in and is looking pretty battered now. I’m on my second after getting it changed two weeks in after the hot spell and it getting very sweaty, not drying out and making my skin very sore.

    I’m hoping for good news because it generally feels pretty good at the moment and has stopped grumbling if I do stuff.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    I’m 10 days in on mine, waiting to see progress. I was told 8 weeks plaster. No mention of going back early for splint, I’d deffo prefer that if it were an option.
    Pain levels fairly low with it.

    penguinni
    Full Member

    Did my trapezium 2 weeks ago and currently in a plaster cast. Pretty painful still and Im hoping that it will heal within 4-6 weeks.

    Amazing how much you rely on having two hands!

    wait4me
    Full Member

    Being in a big full arm cast when I did mine made me irresistible to women! I met Mrs Wait4 whilst sporting it. So that’s a positive. All has been fine in the 20 odd years since (with the scaphoid) until the last year when I’ve started to get a bit of arthritis in there, which is unpleasant and a bit of a concern at 50ish.

    sri16v
    Free Member

    4 weeks in for me now, 3 weeks in the proper plaster, 1st week was in a temporary plaster cast and sling after xray until I could see orthopaedics in a bigger hospital.

    Wrist feels pretty good, still get the odd bit of pain when lifting something at an awkward angle but no pain other than that, adapted to it quite well after the initial shock of being one handed.

    I have been using my smart trainer and zwift to keep me active as I’m off work and not able to drive, quite enjoying the no working malarkey!

    Only problem is the smell emanating from the depths of the cast, mainly caused by using smart trainer, managed to scrape a load of dead skin out from underneath the cast,

    Tried cleaning the bandage part with bleach but to no avail!

    Oh well only another 3 weeks to go!

    crikey
    Free Member

    I got really good at wiping my bum left handed, and wore out the bar tape and rubber STI hood on my training bike with the plastic cast on my right hand. Seven weeks later it turned out it wasn’t broken…

    onehundredthidiot
    Full Member

    Did mine in northern France while returning home. Got it x-rayed and put in a cast a few days later at home. In cast for 4 weeks, then splint. I was riding within 2 months but gently with a 661 support.

    Seems fine 7 years later.

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    Good and bad news today…

    Good news is the cast is off so I’m able to try and was the stink away!

    Bad news is that it’s not 100% healed. Three of the four x rays are bob on, but the fourth shows that one side isn’t quite there yet so I’ve got to wear a splint and get another x ray in four weeks time, so a whole off the bike still. At least with the cast off I can go running to get some proper exercise. It’s been seven weeks since I did any proper cardio and I feel a bit grim to be honest.

    sri16v
    Free Member

    Are you able to drive yet after having the cast removed? I assume the splint is removable?

    How come you didn’t go running before having the cast removed?

    The consultant I saw actively encouraged exercise such as running,walking using a trainer etc.. apart from
    motocross and mountain biking!

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