Hamate Fracture
A hamate fracture is a break in a small wrist bone called the hamate. The hamate is located below and between your pinky and ring fingers. It is shaped like a triangle and has a hook-like extension.
There are two types of hamate fracture:
Type 1. This type involves the hook part of the bone.
Type 2. This type involves the body of the bone.
CAUSES
This condition may be caused by:
A sudden injury, such as:
Falling on an outstretched arm with a clenched fist.
A crushing injury of the hand.
A hard blow to the hand.
Overuse and stress from playing a sport with a bat, club, or racquet.
RISK FACTORS
This condition is more likely to develop in:
People who play a sport with a bat, club, or …show more content…
Bruising.
Numbness of the last two fingers.
Inability to move the last two fingers.
Pain when pressing on the hamate bone (tenderness).
If the condition is caused by a sudden injury, symptoms may develop right away. If the condition caused by overuse or stress, symptoms may develop gradually.
DIAGNOSIS
This condition may be diagnosed based on:
Your sports activity.
Your history of injury.
An examination of your wrist. When your health care provider examines your wrist, he or she will check to see if the movement of your finger is limited or causes pain. He or she will also press on the bone to check for pain.
An imaging test such as a CT scan or MRI. This kind of fracture may be hard to see on an X-ray.
TREATMENT
Treatment for this condition depends on:
Where the break is.
How severe the break is.
Whether the bone has moved out of place.
Treatment may involve:
Surgery. Surgery may be needed to remove the hook-part of the bone if it is broken, or to move a bone that has moved out of place into the right position.
Wearing a cast or a splint to keep the wrist still (immobilized) while the bone heals.
Icing the area to help with pain and
A hamate fracture is a break in a small wrist bone called the hamate. The hamate is located below and between your pinky and ring fingers. It is shaped like a triangle and has a hook-like extension.
There are two types of hamate fracture:
Type 1. This type involves the hook part of the bone.
Type 2. This type involves the body of the bone.
CAUSES
This condition may be caused by:
A sudden injury, such as:
Falling on an outstretched arm with a clenched fist.
A crushing injury of the hand.
A hard blow to the hand.
Overuse and stress from playing a sport with a bat, club, or racquet.
RISK FACTORS
This condition is more likely to develop in:
People who play a sport with a bat, club, or …show more content…
Bruising.
Numbness of the last two fingers.
Inability to move the last two fingers.
Pain when pressing on the hamate bone (tenderness).
If the condition is caused by a sudden injury, symptoms may develop right away. If the condition caused by overuse or stress, symptoms may develop gradually.
DIAGNOSIS
This condition may be diagnosed based on:
Your sports activity.
Your history of injury.
An examination of your wrist. When your health care provider examines your wrist, he or she will check to see if the movement of your finger is limited or causes pain. He or she will also press on the bone to check for pain.
An imaging test such as a CT scan or MRI. This kind of fracture may be hard to see on an X-ray.
TREATMENT
Treatment for this condition depends on:
Where the break is.
How severe the break is.
Whether the bone has moved out of place.
Treatment may involve:
Surgery. Surgery may be needed to remove the hook-part of the bone if it is broken, or to move a bone that has moved out of place into the right position.
Wearing a cast or a splint to keep the wrist still (immobilized) while the bone heals.
Icing the area to help with pain and