Hand Injury - soft tissue

[I_S]

Twenty days ago I was knocked off my bike & damaged my hand. From 16mph I went over the bars and onto the tarmac resulting in lots of road rash. After the swelling subsided I was left with a bruise on the palm that looked and still feels like it was hit by a hammer, possibly impact from the handlebars / brake hood. There is no fracture on X-ray and it's 'soft tissue damage'. Still can't squeeze toothpaste with the damaged hand. The hospital said maybe 4-6 weeks for it to heal, but there's little improvement (I have been back to see them and this was repeated).

Has anyone else had a similar injury and did it continue for more than 3 week?

Thanks.

 

[Will1985]

Yes, and it turned out to be a fracture! It was missed by 4 doctors in the fracture clinic until a consultant hand surgeon had a look... I still have a lump nearly 2 years on.

If you're taking ibuprofen etc.. and it still hurts, persist and get yourself into the fracture clinic for another look.

If you were knocked off, was it a car's fault and if so have you pursued a claim through BC or CTC?

 

[fossyant]

Same here, but they suspected a small fracture so was in a cast for a few weeks. Was very painful even to shift gears in a car. Likely you have a small fracture, but there isn't much that can be done. Do go back to the GP. PS was as a result of bike v van........

 

[I_S]

Thanks for the replies. If there's no improvement in the next few days I'll have to go back to hospital.

Ironically the cause was a unsecured safety barrier in the wind. Riding along at 16mph it blew from behind another barrier into me - stopped the bike dead.

 

[Will1985]

You're lucky it didn't do more either - the son of some family friends was killed about 10 years ago by an unsecured barrier.

I'm not a litigious person, but if your hand remains a problem you need to find out who owns the barrier.

 

[addictfreak]

A mate of mine went over the bonnet of a car about 3 weeks ago. Fortunately all injuries where diagnosed as soft tissue along with cuts and grazes.

He is still off work and having physio, he has been told it could take a few months for everything to sort itself out.

 

[ventoux50]

I'd recommend asking your GP to request a review of the original X-ray, or get a referral for a new one.
Frequently fractures do occur in the small bones of the wrist but go undetected on initial xrays because the initial swelling 'holds' everything in place.

As the swelling subsides movement of the fracture can occur making detection easier.

Get it re-assessed as soon as you can, it may need a cast to immobilise it and allow correct healing.

 

[ASC1951]

Has anyone else had a similar injury and did it continue for more than 3 week?

Yes. Pretty much the same injury, but with bruising to the base of the thumb and the heel of the hand rather than the palm. Although it was functionally ok after ten days, it took nearly two months before it stopped hurting. There certainly wasn't any fracture in my case.