Wrist Fracture Injury

A broken wrist is among the most common broken bones. In fact, wrist fractures are the most commonly broken bone in patients under 65 years of age (after that age, hip fractures become the most common broken bone).
Usually, when a doctor is describing a wrist fracture, he or she is referring to a fracture of the radius (one of two forearm bones). There are other types of broken bones that occur near the wrist, but a 'wrist fracture' generally means the end of the forearm bone has been broken.

How is the diagnosis of a wrist fracture made? ?A wrist fracture should be suspected when a patient injures their wrist joint and has pain in this area. Common symptoms of a wrist fracture include:
Wrist pain
Swelling
Deformity of the wrist
When a patient comes to the emergency room with wrist pain, and evidence of a possibly broken wrist, the first step is to obtain x-rays of the injured area. If there is a broken wrist, the x-rays will be carefully reviewed to determine if the fracture is in proper position, and to assess the stability of the bone fragments.

What is the usual treatment for a wrist fracture? ?Most often, broken wrists can be treated in a cast. The wrist is one area of your body that is very amenable to cast treatment. If the bones are out of proper position, then some light sedation or local anesthesia may be used so your doctor can reset the fracture. This is called 'reducing' a wrist fracture, and by performing specific maneuvers, your doctor may be able to realign the broken wrist.
Which wrist fractures need surgery for treatment? This is a difficult question to answer, and must be addressed on a case by case basis. Even on an individual basis, orthopedists may differ on their opinion of optimal treatment for a given fracture.
Some of the following are important considerations in determining whether or not surgery is necessary for a broken wrist:
Age and physical demands of the patient. ?If a patient is young and active, every effort will be made to restore the wrist to normal. In some wrist fractures, this may help prevent problems in the years ahead. However, if the patient does not require heavy demands of the wrist, or if the patient is elderly, perfect restoration of the broken bones may not be necessary.

Bone quality?- If the bone is severely osteoporotic, then surgery may be less beneficial. If plates and screws are used to fix a fracture, the bone quality must be adequate to secure the screws. Surgery is traumatic to the bone, and sometimes the best course of action is to minimize further insult to the bone and treat in a cast.

Location of the fracture?- If the fracture involves the cartilage of the wrist joint, then surgery may be more likely. While bone can remold over time, the cartilage surface of the wrist joint cannot. If the cartilage surfaces are not lined up sufficiently with a reduction (resetting) maneuver, then surgery may be considered.
Displacement of the fracture?- If the bones are severely misaligned, then surgery may be performed to properly position the fragments. This is usually attempted without surgery, but it is possible for muscle and tendon to become entrapped and block the resetting. Furthermore, some fractures may be unstable and not stay in position even with a well fit cast. These may need surgery to adequately position the fracture.
Adequacy of non-surgical management- ?If a fracture is displaced, usually the patient will have an attempted reduction, or repositioning of the broken bone. Sometimes it is difficult to reposition the bones without surgery. Other times, the positioning is satisfactory, but casting may not hold the fracture in that position. Surgery can usually be performed any time in the first two weeks after a fracture to restore the bones to their proper position.
As stated earlier, surgery is not usually needed for a wrist fracture, but it may be considered in some situations. If surgery is performed, there are several options for treatment. Some fractures may be secured with pins to hold the fragments in place. Another option is an external fixator, a device that uses pins through the skin and a device outside the skin to pull the fragments into position. Finally, plates and screws may be used to position the fracture properly.

Source: http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/upperfx/a/wristfracture.htm

Fractures and broken bones in Accidents

Is it a Fracture or a Break?
Despite what you may have heard, a broken bone is not worse than a fracture, they both mean the same thing. In fact, the word fracture, according to the Oxford English Dictionary is defined as "the act of being broken." There are different types of fractures and broken bones, but these words mean the same thing!.
See http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/otherfractures/a/fracture.htm

Fractures happen because an area of bone is not able to support the energy placed on it (quite obvious, but it becomes more complicated). Therefore, there are two critical factors in determining why a fracture occurs:
* the energy of the event

* the strength of the bone

Treatment of Broken Bones

Fracture Treatment
Bone is constantly in a state of turnover, even when not damaged or injured. We continually absorb and replace the cells that make up our bones. Because of this natural turnover, the process of healing bone also comes about quite naturally.

However, in order for a fracture to heal as well as possible, a good reduction, or placement, of the bones must be attained.

According to http://orthopedics.about.com, when doctors talk about reduction or a fracture, or reducing the broken bone, they are talking about improving the alignment of the broken ends of the bone.
In most cases reducing a fracture involves placing the broken bone in a cast, often after a little pulling and tugging to achieve improved alignment. If the reduction cannot be satisfactorily achieved (meaning the alignment is either not adequate or not sufficiently stable), then a further procedure may be necessary.

This usually means surgery with fixation of the bone with pins, plates, screws or rods.

One potential complication of fracture treatment is either a mal-union or non-union of bone. This problem is more common in elderly individuals and in people who sustain more severe fractures. In the case of some fractures (e.g. hip fracture in elderly) the rate of non-union is high enough that instead of trying to heal the bone, the damaged segment of bone is replaced (e.g. hip replacement). See http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/otherfractures/a/fracture_2.htm

The treatment of a specific fracture is too complicated to be discussed in a general overview of broken bones, but depends on factors such as:

* Location of the fracture
* Severity of angulation or deformity
* Potential for healing
* Other injuries
* Age and activity level of the patient
* And many more factors....
In order to understand your treatment, and the options you may have for treatment, you need to discuss your fracture with your doctor. Because treatments are individualized based on the patient, the x-ray appearance of the fracture, and the other factors mentioned, each case must be treated individually.


Underlying Problems
The most common cause of fractures is due to trauma.

The following happens in accident cases, both car accidents and fall downs.

Financial Recovery for persons seriously injured in accidents

1. Kenneth Vercammen Helps Injured persons
A person who is injured as a result of the negligence of another person is what we in the legal profession refer to as a personal injury claimant. In other words, they have been injured as a result of an accident, and you now wish to prosecute a claim against an opposing party. As the attorney of record, I can bring an action for the injured person. Therefore, I request that all clients do as much as possible to cooperate and help in every way. The purpose of this article is to describe the procedure that we may follow and give you sufficient instructions to enable you to assist us in this undertaking. Needless to say, helping us is just another way of helping yourself.

2. Clients should provide my office with the following
1. Any bills
2. All Hospital or doctor records in your possession
3. Car Insurance Declaration Sheet if you were in a car accident
4. Car Insurance Policy if car accident
5. Photos of damage to any property
6. Photos of accident site
7. Major Medical Insurance Card
8. Paystub if lost time from work


3. Attorney- Client Confidential Relationship
First, I want to thank our clients for giving me the opportunity to assist them in their case. I am a legal professional and I have great pride and confidence in the legal services that I perform for clients during our relationship as attorney-client. If you have concerns about your case, please call my office at (732) 572-0500.
We feel that this case is extremely important-not only to you, but to this office as well. This is not simply a matter of obtaining just compensation for you, although that is very important. We take professional pride in guiding our clients carefully through difficult times to a satisfactory conclusion of their cases.

4. Submission of Bills to Insurance / Major Medical
If you are in a car accident, you should submit your medical bills to your own car insurance company first. Your car insurance is required by New Jersey law to provide PIP (Personal Injury Protection) benefits under the No Fault Law. This means your car insurance company, not the careless driver, pay the majority of medical bills.
If you do not own a car, but live with someone who owns a car, we can try to help you submit medical bills to their car insurance company.

If this is not a car accident, submit all bills immediately to your major medical.
Please provide car and major medical insurance information to each doctor, MRI facility and treatment provider. Please request they submit bills and attending physician reports to car insurance and major medical. There is now minimum deductibles under the PIP Law. There is an initial $250.00 deductible, and thereafter your car insurance company pays 80% of medical bills under a medical fee schedule established by the State Dept. of Insurance. Your primary treating doctor must also follow "Care Path". Submit portions of bills the car insurance does not pay to your major medical carrier (ex- Blue Cross, Connecticut General). The Law Office of Kenneth Vercammen can provide a more detailed brochure explaining how car insurance works.

Never give a signed statement to the claims adjuster representing the other driver's insurance company. The same goes for a phone recording. They may be used against you in court to deny your claim. Speak with your personal injury attorney first.