Crashed my MX bike on Wednesday afternoon, used a wooden post to stop me going into a pond. Some discomfort and localised swelling on my right wrist, no lasting pain but when pressure is applied it’s sore. GP said potential fracture, you need an x ray. I can’t be bothered to go and sit at minor injuries for 4 hours for them to say yeah its fractured, here’s an elastic bandage off you go.

Have you ever obviously broken/fractured a bone and not had it looked at and then regretted it? I’m riding again tomorrow…

I left my thumb a week, by then it was too swollen to do anything about it so it’s healed up a bit funny and gives me problems. Take a good book and sit it out.

Depends whhich bone is potentially fractured.. if it’s the scaphoid it’s a right bitch to heal.
Go get it xrayed.

It’s the bone closest to my body if I hold my arm by my side, palm facing backwards.

Yep, hurt my left wrist in a front wheel wash out a few years back. Didn’t think I’d fractured it but had weight bearing problems with it for a few months. Went to docs, they sent me for physio, over time it sorted itself out. Crashed again in similar style last year. Definite break (scaphoid). Doctor pointed out previous fracture of ulna styloid and was amazed I’d not been suffering from it. Scaphoid took 10 weeks in a cast and wasn’t right for a while although my previous fracture gave me grief during this time also due to the soft tissue damage caused in that area.

Anyway, go get it checked out. No point in trying to ignore potential fractures as they may cause you problems further down the line.

12 years ago I cycled into the back of a scaffolding lorry (my fault as I was riding hard with my head down, but I only just missed the scaffolding pipe sticking out the back with my head). Both wrists swelled up like balloons. I got to A&E at 4.30pm and got X-rayed straight away but was still sitting there at 11.30pm waiting to be seen by a doctor. I had enough and walked out figuring if it was bad they would have seen me sooner.

I think I must have put some hairline fractures in them because although they were fine in day to day use pretty much straight away, for a good 5 or 6 years they would swell up really badly (as in spend a sleepless night bathing them in iced water) after a harsh mtb session or if I used a jack hammer, played golf or cricket. Not so bad now. I have no idea if it would have been any better if I’d hung around for doctor or as you say I’d have had a nice bandage applied and sent on my way.

Yeah that’s my concern. I think I’ll pick up an overpriced magazine or something and just sit it out. Might not even take that long but ill be annoyed if it ends up in a cast…

If it’s the schaphoid then danger is because blood supply is poor that it won’t heal, the bone starts to die or the bone becomes infected, you get blood poisoning and then you die.

I’d get it looked at.

6 weeks in a cast is better than a lifetime of twinges and pain from your wrist

Sigh. You guys (and my parents) are much older and wiser than I when it comes to things like this. I really really don’t wanna go, I’d rather give my bike the pre – ride check over and polish then play the xbox this afternoon!!!!!!! Will report back later today as to whether it’s broken fractured or fine!

Kendal MIU had me seen, xrayed & half cast in 45mins, excellent service.

Wrists are a massive paid tbh . I took one to many falls on the bmx and damaged my wrist. Thought I had Brocken a bone or two, never saw any one just left it. Now about 6 years on the bloody thing hurts like mad to the point where riding is damn uncomfortable and if I jar it in any way it brings tears to my eyes, had an x ray and they said no break or any sign of damage! The verdict is currently tendinitis and there seems bugger all to do about it. I reckon if I’d seen someone sooner then this may have been preventable.

Definitely get it checked out. My scaphoid fracture took 2 weeks to identify as it only opened up when the swelling went down. 6 weeks in a splint after it was found. As above, if it is that and it’s not properly treated it can lead to blood supply issues etc.

Have you ever obviously broken/fractured a bone and not had it looked at and then regretted it? I’m riding again tomorrow…

Yes, sort of… I did, and never had it fixed, but I don’t regret it.

I broke/cracked the bone at the end of wrist at Donington park in practice. Went out again after the bike was fixed but could only manage 5-6 laps before the pain got too much, so did that for the afternoon just to keep riding.

Next day I went to hospital and they confirmed it was broken, however when I asked about the potential for leaving it with just a strapping on he stated it would be fine long term and no consequences, so I left it, so I could race at Donington on a borrowed Ducati 996 in a fortnight. Despite being rubbish in the race, it was a cracking experience and I don’t regret it at al.

Yes – In a way. Broke my right wrist – small hairline fractures, no massive swelling or bruising ( I tend to do neither even when I broke the other one badly enough to require surgery) Arrogant prick of a student doctor know it all basically said its not swollen or bruised enough for a break and wouldn’t xray it. When I requested a second opinion he refused and then when I started to remonstrate he had security eject me.

Subsequently got a doctors appointment and referral for xray and lo and behold it was broken. Unfortunately as it had not been set soon enough the damage had been done and I suffered with crepitus and restricted movement for a couple of years (I think until next time I broke it…)

If it had been cast from the outset I probably would have avoided it.

Grab a good book and go to A&E ya silly sausage.

a cracking experience

ho ho.

A&E’s not always as bad as you think it might be. The other week my wife hit her head on a low beam at a B&B over the weekend, so I took some flexi off work for the monday morning and went with her. There were several doctors just sitting around waiting for business, we were out within 30 minutes, pleasantly surprised.

If you’d gone on Wednesday when it happened you’d been sorted by now. You could of course be dead hard and ignore it but in a few months or years down the line you’ll wish you’d gone along and sat for a few hours when they have to operate to sort out the scaphoid which has died.

MIU for you as it’s now 2 day since you did it so not an Emergency.

Why would you bitch about waiting for a service that you get for free that will no doubt help you and possibly stop you getting further problems in the future. Get to a and e and see what the real doctors have to say 🙄

It would’ve been MIU anyways even if I went on the Wednesday evening.

I’m not bitching about the service as such, it’s more about me being impatient and some what lazy with my own personal care.

For the record I think the NHS does a great job – especially when we have a race meet and require air ambulance 3 times on the trot, when we are supposed to arrange our own medical treatment…!

Heading over there at 9:45 so will give you all an update which I know your looking forward to!

Have you ever obviously broken/fractured a bone and not had it looked at and then regretted it?

Yes.

I did some random damage to my ankle about 20 years ago snowboarding. Just bandaged it and carried on. Have had problems ever since and pretty much walk with a slight limp all the time now.

Get pain if I walk a few miles and have real problems running so have given up.

Get it sorted.

IME I’ve been seen really quickly in A&E when it sounds like I’ve broken something, I imagine that it comes down to the A&E department though.

Must be a long queue.. Have you been seen yet?

Just go & get it checked out. Fell off my bike in March & didn’t go to A&E but saw a physio 4 days later who said er… ‘That’s a trauma injury, you need an x-ray & MRI’ turns out it’s fractured in 2 places with significant bone bruising. You are much better off knowing what the damage is & treating it accordingly. It’s your body & you are in it for life.