UKC

A friend of mine is possibly going to have his wrist fused (after a motorbike accident) and I wondered about the consequences of that on his future climbing shenanigans. Has anyone on here experienced this and how did you adapt to post op climbing?

Well I haven't had mine fused but was threatened with it haha...I got avascular necrosis of the scaphoid after breaking it for the 3rd time...all down to DH mtb. In fact it was the wrist which stopped me from enjoying riding. 

The docs told me I would almost certainly need a fusion in the future. However here I am 25 years on and apart from the reduced ROM it is pretty good. I was also recently told (after an x-ray) that the 'dead' part of my scaphoid had mysteriously fixed itself and is now healthy bone?!? 

I took up climbing about 1 year after my wrist had 'healed'. I'm certain that climbing regularly really helped it, stressing it and getting good blood flow through the area prompted the healing?

I have quite limited ROM in it but to be honest it only ever stopped me from doing one route, an E5 which had a high undercling that I had to get with the gammy wrist hand....couldn't bend it back far enough to get into the hold.

I don't know the extent of your mates injuries but there is hope!

I recommend finding an Amatsu therapist to help with rehab. Doing ice therapy and Wim Hof breathing exercises.

How did you find recovery from your various scaphoid breakages? I've recently done mine (left hand, also falling off bike) and am now in a cast for 6 weeks, which seems a bit excessive, I was in a splint for the first weekish (before they got round to doing the cast) and it felt fine.

Do not rush back from breaking your scaphoid. It usually leads to further problems.

When I broke mine I also was in a plaster cast for 6 weeks but didn't start climbing, or riding my trials motorbike for a further 3 months, but did a lot of walking in that time. This did work as no later problems.

John Gresty

I haven't got my wrist fused but following a nasty climbing accident my right (and left actually) elbows don't fully straighten and my right radius and ulna have fused together.  This means that I can no longer 'pronate or supinate' - in other words, turn my hand so that I can balance something in the palm of my hand or on the back of my hand.  It is locked so that with my arm by my side, my thumb points to the sky and my little finger points to the floor.

It undoubtedly has an impact on my climbing but you get completely used to what you can and cannot do and don't even think anymore about how you have to move the rest of your body in order to get your hand into the position that you want it in.  Occasionally, you simply cannot do what you want to but those occasions are few and far between.

The fusion might cost you a grade or two but all is not lost - it is the enjoyment of time spent climbing with mates which is so valuable and that doesn't change at all.

Good luck

Broke mine years ago while bouldering. Think yourself lucky with only 6 weeks in a cast, mine was 13 weeks!