ORTHOPEDICS/HAND & WRIST/HAND & WRIST RUPTURES
The boxer’s crack is a broken hand bone, typically at the small finger base.
The boxer’s crack is a fracture that happens in the metacarpal neck (a region of the bone).
To remind, the metacarpal is the bone located in the palm of the hand that spreads from the wrist small bones to the knuckle at the base of the small finger where the boxer’s crack usually happen.
Frequently boxer’s cracks appears after a hand punching an object such as a wall.
While the damage is caused due to a punching movement, a person can also bear it as well with non-punching damages kinds.
Some of the other reasons can be from trying to halt a fall with the hand for example, or having your hand wrinkled because of an accident, or also following a violent winding of the hand or finger, or from a brutal contact during sports activities.
Symptoms
Persons who endure a boxer’s crack generally complain of pain and inflammation at the base of the small finger.
A distorted appearing knuckle is also a common symptom of boxer’s crack.
We notice also most often a collision over the back of the palm just below the small finger knuckle.
In addition, the knuckle itself may appear distorted, or absent.
The hand with a boxer’s crack will have a different form than the outer side of the hand.
The most common symptoms of the boxer’s crack are:
Pain on the hand outer side, Painfulness over the small finger, Difficulty making a fist, Inflammation and hand distortion.
A visit to the doctor is recommended each time one of the above signs appears.
Therapy
The boxer’s crack harshness determine the therapy course that almost may be performed by immobilizing, taping, casting or surgery.
Most boxer’s cracks can be treated without surgery.
In these cases, splinting is the best first aid since the crack is well protected to prevent distress from bumping the damaged hand.
If in some cases surgery is recommended, the usual process is to insert small pins through the skin to fix the bones in place. These small pins may remain in after the bone recovery or they may be removed.
Unrelatedly of the therapy, it is common for patients with boxer’s crack to have little stiffness and discomfort even after a surgery; therefore, once the doctor permits, some exercises should be done to regain hand normal mobility.