fractured metacarpal

[Tomas N]

i fractured my 3rd metacaral bone while fencing epee last week. infighting and and unfortunate combination of me and my opponent getting caught up twisting in the wrong direction at the wrong time. has anybody else broken a metacarpal while fencing? how long before you were fencing again with the dominant hand? i'm having fun fencing lefty (and buying all sorts of lefty equipment), but i'll be happy to fence righty again.

tomas

[MHS Fencer]

I don't know that I'd recommend this solution, but I never stopped - had the wrist taped by a trainer - but it was just a hairline fracture. This was on a college team though, and I would not recommend that solution as it hurt quite a bit - if I recall it was a good 4-6 weeks before it felt okay again.

[TensingNorgay]

Tomas: first the disclaimer:

Please do not consider this personal medical advice, however I have seen thousands of metacarpal fractures.

A typical third metacarpal fracture takes about two months to heal. However each fracture is different, depending upon several factors:

the pattern: spiral/ transverse, stable or unstable
the location: head,neck, shaft or base.
displacement and or mal-alignment.

I hope you saw either an orthopedist or a hand surgeon, had x rays and are properly immobilized. Some metacarpal fractures do better long term with surgery. Do not base your treatment upon what is said on these boards.
Do not neglect your post fracture therapy.

Good luck,

[jeff]

Tomas - along the lines of what TensingNorgay said: please rely on the advice of a qualified hand specialist. This is your dominant hand, which you hope to be able to depend on for the rest of your life for every day activities. Please don't risk screwing it up by rushing back to fencing or not following up on any needed treatment or therapy.

[Tomas N]

i'm definitely not relying on f.net medical advice! i have my 3rd xray tomorrow at which time we decide whether to stick with a splint or cast it. i'd prefer a splint as it breathes a lot better, but we'll see. i was figuring 2 months, so thanks for reinforcing that estimate. of course, it'll depend on what the doc says. mhs, i wish mine were only hairline, but it was a long and complete fracture in the shaft. my middle finger will be a bit shorter after this is all over.

tomas

[MHS Fencer]

Yikes. Well, good luck - like I said, I would not recommend my approach, but 2 months should be plenty assuming your doctor gives you the OK.

[Elendae]

I guess this means that you won't be fencing at Kent this weekend. I hope it heals well and quickly.

[DonnaP]

As some folks here know - I am a hand therapist. Just one additional thought... if you opt for the splint, I do not suggest the hand based style metacarpal brace - it had very good results initially, but the long term outcomes have been poor. Go for the bigger splint, the benefits are worth the initial inconvenience.