UKC

I would be interested how anyone else has recovered from a Fractured Finger. We were hit by rockfall in Peru. A closer call for my friend as he was blown off a ledge as his femar was snapped by a large rock. More fortunate for me but the incident has left me with a poorly set finger, now reset with a plate and 6 screws.

It is almost two weeks in since the operation and I am struggling to get flexibility back into the second knuckle.

Any physio advice or similar injury stories and how long it took to repair would be reassuring at the moment. I am concerned as there are a statistically large amount of "stiffys" out there due to not working on flexibility or working too late on flexing the joint.

I can only get about 15 degrees max from the knuckle at the moment.

Two weeks! Patience, why have you not had a referral for phiso? You could ask your gp for one if your concerned. I have used youtube for phisio exercises, and if you google it there is a wealth of info to be found.
This probably won't be your last injury in your life,so how you cope/rehab yourself is important, and try not to rush back as that will just delay your recovery.

In reply to clarkie: I've just broken my thumb and had surgery a few weeks back. I am in plaster for 5 weeks before beginning flexibility exercises. I would not worry about it.

In reply :

Thanks for the reassurance. As it happened over a month ago was set in plaster and then the finger needed to be re-broken on return to the uk and then operated on it feels like a long time. I guess I am losing patience. They do say that as soon as you can get it moving again the better chance of not having it stiff up later on.

I have arranged a physio appointment this morning... .. fingers crossed.

In reply to clarkie:

>... .. fingers crossed.

Oh, very droll.

jcm

In reply to clarkie:

I broke my index finger a long time ago (14 years), it didn't need resetting but it was immobilised for a few weeks and when I eventually started using it I quickly got back most range of motion but for some reason I simply could not close it all the way, there was around 1cm gap before being able to touch the base of my finger.

I didn't do any physio and for months I was hoping it'll go back to what it was but it didn't and I eventually just forgot all about that injury until now. Your post prompted me to try again and I can actually now close it completely (not as comfortably as my other index finger though) so I guess recovery for me occurred some time between a few months and 14 years later.

Hope this helps. :p

In reply to clarkie:

Many years ago I broke my finger (in the UK) and had it pinned. Afterwards I didn't get full movement back and after a few weeks a follow up with a different specialist found bone fragments lodged in the joint preventing closure. A further operation to cut the side of my finger off and fish them out solved it. Went for phys expecting gentle massage or something...the first session with the physio she just bent my finger all the way to the clenched position then straightened it and repeat for 15 minutes. Agony. Worked though.

In reply to clarkie:

Ok... 10 days later, approximately 22 days after plate was put in that is bridging the full fracture of my right Proximal Phalanx.

I can, without external force clench the joint toward a right angle (at the joint), now at about 75 degrees. So some improvement. Not climbing just yet. Still very swollen. I try to maintain physio exercises every two hours that keep it moving. 3x 10 second reps, with out external movement forcing movement. Some squeezing a soft foam ball also. However the finger is less straight now,more curled.

Watch out for rockfall!

In reply to clarkie:

Not a serious one, no joint damage etc, but after 3 weeks of a broken little finger (cycled into a bridge parapet) the swelling is going down and it's just a bit sore. I don't have full movement yet, though, I think that's partly swelling and partly because the tendon is pulling across the site of the break when I try to straighten it fully.

Not worried as yet, but then mine is a simple case - no pins, no joint damage etc. And yes I have been climbing a few times!

Neil

In reply to clarkie:

Interesting. The NHS tend not to put broken fingers in plaster, they just strap to the next one.

FWIW I was told around 4 weeks for a near enough full recovery, which sounds about right to me given where I am after 3.

Neil