Scaphoid Fracture...any Expiriences?

[AREA]

Hey Guys...

last Week I broke my Scaphoid of the left Hand. I went to Hospital and they made a Operation (sorry, my medical English is vey poor) that means they have put a little Srew in my Scaphoid and I could leave the Hospital the next Day.

That was on Thursday. Of course my left Hand is still swollen and it feels really strange to try to pick up the Bass. The Movement of my left Hand is really bad at the Moment. Just like I have to learn to play from the Begining, but I hope to get well soon, because in June we have some Gigs to play and until there i have to get by...

Maybe all it needs is a little Time to heal, but thats a real bad Situation for me. Playing Bass means so much to me.

Are there any Expiriences. Of course I don´t hope so, but it could be so let´s hear.

[kumde]

I broke my scaphoid when I was 15 (about 10 years ago, so my memories might not be that precise.. and it might even have been the Trapezium instead of Scaphoid). Anyway, I had a cast in my hand/forearm for 4 weeks. When the cast was removed, my wrist was very weak of course for being immobile for a month but there was no pain anywhere and full movement very soon (maybe a few days or a week). Unfortunately I didn't yet play bass at the time so I can't comment on that aspect.

Stressing a bone that's in the early stage of healing is very bad, so I think you should just let it rest for now. But I'm not a doctor, so my advice isn't anything to rely on.

[Petebass]

The scaphoid is an unusual bone. That's because the wrist is an unusual joint. It's unlike any other joint in the body in that it's a lot like a door hinge - and the Scaphoid bone is the pin in the middle.

I damaged my scaphoid in a motorbike accident. It didn't break, but it jammed the "hinge" between my wrist and my hand. I mention it because according to my doctor, the treatment they gave me is something you're likely to encounter as well after the fracture recovers.

When the "hinge" jams, and apparently that's common after a fracture, the muscles in the wrist have a remarkable way of making the wrist bend anyway. Over time the muscles may start to overwork themselves and you might get some swelling. The swelling isn't obvious from the outside, but they tends to press on nerves and cause some pain.

I was given certain wrist stretching exercises to do, and I also use ice packs when the swelling is causing pain. If the pain persists, I take a pain killer with an anti-inflammatory in it, but luckily I don't have to do that often as the ice works very well.

Many years later, my Physio told me I can help it further by wearing a semi-tight band around my forearm, just below the elbow. It somehow prevents the muscles in the wrist from overloading themselves. It works.

[AREA]

Thats the Way as it looks like in my Hand now. The little Srew is made of Titanium and stays there for the Rest of my Life..

I already can play Bass again. Thats fine...

[Petebass]

Originally Posted by AREA

I already can play Bass again. Thats fine...

That's good to hear

[Jools4001]

Originally Posted by AREA

Thats the Way as it looks like in my Hand now. The little Srew is made of Titanium and stays there for the Rest of my Life..

I already can play Bass again. Thats fine...

I broke my right scaphoid in a motorbike accident over twenty years ago and the hospital thought that I may have broken it again back in January in a karate training incident (turned out it was just the end of my radius that was broken)

My advice is don't push it. The scaphoid doesn't get a good blood supply and is the longest to heal bone in your body (I was in plaster for 12 weeks with mine). I was warned that if you didn't give it time to heal well, you might also be prone to also get arthritis in later life.

Think of it this way. You only have one left scaphoid - do you want to take a chance of serious problems that might stop you playing or do you want to take the risk and push to do a couple of gigs?

I stopped playing for 12 weeks, but I'm still playing over twenty years later