[Andy8]

This is what I had done over the long weekend.

Apologies for the poor quality, it was a one handed photo of a photo:





ouch!

[olePigeon]

When do you get the claws? Snikt!

[Andy8]

Fractured this two weeks earlier, but it was not aligned well, so they had to break it again and add some metal bits on Friday.

[ghporter]

I thought I could figure out just exactly what "this" you fractured two weeks ago, but the pictures aren't as illuminating as I need. Not your photography-the radiographs. So do tell; what DID you break?

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I thought I could figure out just exactly what "this" you fractured two weeks ago, but the pictures aren't as illuminating as I need. Not your photography-the radiographs. So do tell; what DID you break?

Metacarpus number 5 on the left hand.

Needless to say my one handed typing is improving.

[ghporter]

OK, that works. The proximal (nearer to the wrist) end of the "little finger's hand bone" is where the hardware is installed. The confusing part was the poor quality of the image at the other end-I couldn't tell if I was seeing a finger or what.

The good news is that healing from even a "two weeks later" surgery like this is really fairly straightforward. You'll need some rehab to get all the range of motion and strength back, but it should be pretty boring-nothing dramatic involved. (That's a good thing, by the way.)

Now for the more interesting question: How did you bust your left hand?

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Now for the more interesting question: How did you bust your left hand?

Trail running downhill, feet got away from me and I tripped and fell into a rock retaining wall beside the trail, my little finger was bent over 90° towards my thumb, so silly me bent it back straight away. (which i guess messed up the alignment)

[tightsocks]

Why so much effort to save the little finger?
Just amputate...

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by tightsocks 

Why so much effort to save the little finger?
Just amputate...

I need the grip to work

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The good news is that healing from even a "two weeks later" surgery like this is really fairly straightforward. You'll need some rehab to get all the range of motion and strength back, but it should be pretty boring-nothing dramatic involved. (That's a good thing, by the way.)

Glenn - they had to split the tendon to install the plate and screws. I am guessing this will take a bit longer to recover.

[tightsocks]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

I need the grip to work

Do you really have that much strength in your pinkie finger that losing it would make that much of a difference.

I really fail to see why the pinkie finger is so important.

Just snap it off and be done with it. In less time than it takes this surgery to heal you will have forgotten all about the missing finger...

[Laminar]

Until the next time he has to count to ten.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Glenn - they had to split the tendon to install the plate and screws. I am guessing this will take a bit longer to recover.

Actually, the tendon will only be painful for a while, and you'll have to wait a couple weeks before the finger is allowed to move much. But you'll likely start with some passive (someone else or your right hand does the work) ranging pretty early in order to keep the healing tendon from getting stuck to the wrong thing. Tendons are pretty common casualties in hand injuries, and there are relatively common protocols for what to do and when to ensure the best outcome. So I expect that by the end of February you'll be pretty close to unhindered except by some occasional discomfort with certain movements. And maybe with the odd rapid weather change, too.

[Andy8]

Really good to hear your positive feedback Glenn, makes my painful long weekend a bit brighter at least!

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by tightsocks 

Do you really have that much strength in your pinkie finger that losing it would make that much of a difference.

I really fail to see why the pinkie finger is so important.

Just snap it off and be done with it. In less time than it takes this surgery to heal you will have forgotten all about the missing finger...

Sometimes, it's easy to tell which people can't type properly, or who don't play an instrument.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Sometimes, it's easy to tell which people can't type properly, or who don't play an instrument.

Or have frequent tea lunches with the Queen.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Really good to hear your positive feedback Glenn, makes my painful long weekend a bit brighter at least!

I'm not a certified hand therapist, but I have plenty of experience with hand therapy, especially after a traumatic injury like this.

Oh, and immediately after surgery is no time to "be tough" and wait until you're in serious pain to take something for it. It's OK to take the pain meds the nice doctor gave you-before it gets really, really uncomfortable. They work better that way.

[tightsocks]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Sometimes, it's easy to tell which people can't type properly, or who don't play an instrument.

Adjustments and adaptations can be made.
Likely for less than the cost of the surgery/rehab.

[ghporter]

The little finger forms the basis of the hand's ability to do two things at once. Isolating the two ulnar fingers from the two radial fingers is the foundation of dexterity. Like the index finger, the small finger has separate muscles to perform special tasks-tasks that the middle and ring fingers cannot perform. Just look at the muscular mass at the base of the small finger's side of the hand-that set of muscles is all dedicated to the small finger.

The surgery was relatively simple and textbook. Rehab will be likewise extremely straightforward. We have developed five fingers-one the specialized thumb-for good reason. None are expendable. Adapting to the loss of a finger actually takes far more rehab than the simple exercises and practice that recovering range of motion and strength will require.

[Andy8]

Update - got this added today for 4-6 weeks:

[ghporter]

I have to say I've seen better splints...but I've seen MUCH worse ones too. The cord is to keep the finger in a particular position, and it can be adjusted for different positions and different amounts of tension. This helps the tendons heal appropriately-in particular it keeps the tendons that extend the small finger from getting too short due to the finger being immobile during healing.

Of course the thing could look less odd-or at least more geeky. But that's a personal thing and a style issue.

[Andy8]

Yes it does not look to stylish, but as long as it does what is required I won't complain too much, as the whole thing has cost me HKD$310 (USD45) for 2 days in hospital, all OT and surgery fees, doctors & specialists fees, referrals, physiotherapy, all the parts - the plate/screws are titanium and all medication required.

The public health system is almost free here for all residents. (no insurance required)

[The Final Dakar]

Your Halo game must be suffering.

[finboy]

Adjustments and adaptations can be made.
Likely for less than the cost of the surgery/rehab.

Wild. That's the kind of attitude that scared people during the healthcare takeover.

[Spheric Harlot]

You mean "before healthcare took over".