Bones recovery

[ccrn]

Originally Posted by Martin

TR, you should know that the swelling ought to originate from knuckle two or three, or the metacarpal for them, if I had hit somebody.

Besides, I'm so small that it'd be hard to get enough power to break anything in a fight.

Untrue in the first example, and untrue in the second.

Swelling would occur in the second and third only if an individual had struck an object (animate or inanimate) close to correctly ( typicaly the dorsal aspect of the first and second metacarpophalangeal joints otherwise known as knuckles ie knuckle sandwich). Any individual no matter how small can generate enough power to cause a "boxers fracture" in the third and fourth metacarpal

My experience working casual in ER has taught me that most people do not strike correctly with their hands and fists, and that this injury occurs most frequently in the restrooms of pubs after a less than desirable contact with a sought after female. The contact suface most common for this type of injury is an inanimate object (ie wall) and not another indiviual as mostly claimed (ie only two beers).

My experience has also been that injuries of this nature are casted at least with a half cast covering the third and forth metacarpals and ulna held in place with an ace-

HTH

ccrn

Good post, ccrn!

Thanks for correcting me.

[brewmonkey]

Originally Posted by Martin

I think a boxers fracture is the term used for fractures on the metacarpal.

I fell... The fist came automatically.

LOL!


You know I used to tell people that I broke my back falling off the roof while laying tar paper. There was no way in hell I was going to admit that the straw that literally finished me off was a paint can lid.