Broken hand... Help!

i'm in need of some advice,
last sunday i was riding down Great dover st. on my way home and whilst checking behind me for traffic i hit a manhole cover with a huge hole in it.
this caused me to go straight over my bars, breaking my 4th metacarpal (ring finger) on impact.
i was going to report the hole but have been instructed by several people to put a claim in to the council for some sort of compensation.
i was wondering if anyone else here has had a similar incident and what they did about it, i'm pretty reluctant to do so
but after 3 trips to hospital and 3 months without my right hand it definitely begining to wear thin. i find out tomorrow if i need to go in for surgery...
any constructive advice would be much appriciated

cheers

I can give you plenty of rehab advice/guidance for your hand, but know diddly-squat about compensation cases...

Surely this a no win no fee jobby?

i've been put in a cast, from my elbow to just below my knuckles possibly for 6 weeks, with my fingers unrestrained
so i guessing i'm allowed to move them
just can't apply any resistance or make a fist
so riding is totally out of the question for a while
gutted

try the ctc maybe. but you what ever you do you will need evidence and, most likely, witnesses i'd guess. sorry to hear about the injury tho.

This has been covered. You need to get photos of the site, with some indicator (ruler) of how deep the hole is etc.

Shit, that sucks. I am getting towards the end of my recovery (fingers crossed anyway, no pun intended) for a broken 5th metacarpal (index finger). It really is compleatly shity. No riding (no grip), I could bairly do anything. It was also my left hand and I am left handed. If you need any advice on exercizes and what not then let me know.

Do you have a splint that is velroed on? If so, you can take it off and see the mad bruseing. Its like all the colors of the rainbow.

Oh, I was lucky and didnt need sergery (thank fuck). I do now have a hole where my knuckle used to be though.

Shit, that sucks. I am getting towards the end of my recovery (fingers crossed anyway, no pun intended) for a broken 5th metacarpal (index finger). It really is compleatly shity. No riding (no grip), I could bairly do anything. It was also my left hand and I am left handed. If you need any advice on exercizes and what not then let me know.

Do you have a splint that is velroed on? If so, you can take it off and see the mad bruseing. Its like all the colors of the rainbow.

Oh, I was lucky and didnt need sergery (thank fuck). I do now have a hole where my knuckle used to be though.

i had a splint on until friday and the Dr. at the fracture clinic swapped it for the cast,
my hand is turning green/black, which isn't too pretty.
did you have any exercises whilst your hand was restrained or did they wait until you were out of the cast??

Basicly. Move your fingers as much as you can without moving the knuckle/metacarpal that is broken. So basicly, moving the ends of you fingers to make as much of a fist as you can. This will stop the tendons seazing up. The physios should tell you this as well.

Did you go to St Thomes's?

ah good, i've been trying to do that for the past few days, not being too sure wether or not i was doing myself any favors.
i went to university collage hospital.
i waited until the next day to see how serious it was
and go sent to a&e by my boss the second i walked into work on monday morning

cheers for the help

Sorry, PinkGottiMobs but I'd like to stop you there on giving advice on exercise, from a massage therapist's perspective...

For the first 3-6 weeks you don't want to do any sort of exercise, you have to wait until the swelling, pain & heat have gone down. Basically, right after an injury you just want to let it heal without trying to do much rehabbing. For instance, I wouldn't even work on you until 3 weeks after injury, minimum.

Wait until the physios tell you what you can do. And then follow their instructions. If you do what they say to do as they say to do it you will generally heal better.

Good luck!

i went to university collage hospital.

Fine hospital, and the hand consultant (Taylor) is excellent. Hope you get her.

Same advice as Jayloo, leave well alone. Let the immediate aftermath of trauma to your hand settle down and the healing process begin.

Good luck

sorry to hear,

best advice i've been given after breaking bones as an adult is not to rush back.. best to not force it and do long term damage. trust me. i'm a walking wounded and all down to thinking i was healed when i wasn't.

Sorry, PinkGottiMobs but I'd like to stop you there on giving advice on exercise, from a massage therapist's perspective...

For the first 3-6 weeks you don't want to do any sort of exercise, you have to wait until the swelling, pain & heat have gone down. Basically, right after an injury you just want to let it heal without trying to do much rehabbing. For instance, I wouldn't even work on you until 3 weeks after injury, minimum.

Wait until the physios tell you what you can do. And then follow their instructions. If you do what they say to do as they say to do it you will generally heal better.

Good luck!

I was just giving the exat same advice that I recived from the physios just 5 weeks ago. They said right from the start (three days after breaking my hand) to try and move your fingers as much as posible (just not the broken joint in question). I was just trying to give some advice.

I was just giving the exat same advice that I recived from the physios just 5 weeks ago. They said right from the start (three days after breaking my hand) to try and move your fingers as much as posible (just not the broken joint in question). I was just trying to give some advice.

I think you have nailed it... Advice can be contrary but you have after all been through the treatment process.... If the joint is immobilised through a big fat cast then movement is restricted...exactly as it should be. Wiggle stuff you can but leave the broken bit alone.

I was just giving the exat same advice that I recived from the physios just 5 weeks ago. They said right from the start (three days after breaking my hand) to try and move your fingers as much as posible (just not the broken joint in question). I was just trying to give some advice.

Sorry Gotti, didn't mean to sound rude at all (I'm kind of a blunt force trauma myself sometimes) but was giving the rules as they were given to us in school. Of course, physio therapists have more training than massage therapists do (though I had way more than your average therapists trained in the UK).

We all just want what's best for the man's hand. I would always wait until a physio gives the go ahead for exercise after an injury.

compensation!!!!
My friend used to work for the council claims thing in essex and if things like paving slabs are over an inch out and you trip on them you can claim! I'm sure a massive pot hole will be in there!

Just carry on as normal me old mucker...
P.O.P casts = immobile joint. Other structures can and should be mobile or else they would be included in the cast.
I'm guessing you fractured the proximal head of the metacarpal?

Splint first to accomodate swelling.
Cast second to immobilise and unite.

But can i add - Jayloo and MrBigG speak wise words.... movement = cool.
'exercise' in the form of press ups on finger tips..... not so awesome.
:)
There's a lot of love on here for your hand.
Heal up soon bud.

Also, I saw the "making as much of a fist as you can" bit and a lot of people will take that to mean "make a fist, must make a fist!" the tendons will kind of shorten up but after a time will stretch back out. I've had to deal with that after minor surgery on both big toes, they were suuuuuuuuper tight for what felt like ages but are both totally ok now.

what you want to be careful of is doing too much back and forth movement right away in case there was damage to the tendon sheath - that will result in tenosynovitis, further complicating the injury and lengthening healing time.

bill had a simular thing happen and he got compensation. PM the buffalo.

really appreciate all of the advice, thanks
i'm heading off to see Ms Taylor in a bit so i should have a better idea of where i stand this afternoon
but with the amount of movement i seem to be gaining as the swelling fades away i am quite hopeful that i'll be free from any more metal work
as far as compensation goes it might be worth me phoning one of those no win no fee companies that seem to be everywhere nowadays
maybe use some of the cash on this guy
http://www.physioclinic.net/
and his magic bone laser treatment

Good luck with the hand today nick. I got the splint taken off today for good by the physios and some silly putty to grip as well as some more advanced exercies. Its not the longest amount of time off a bike but it still sucks. You will get there eventualy.

95% of councils will compensate you before it even goes to court. Send them a letter threatening legal action due to negligence in road care.

P.S. Here in Bournemouth last year the council spent more money on compensation claims than actually fixing the roads...

Good luck with the hand today nick. I got the splint taken off today for good by the physios and some silly putty to grip as well as some more advanced exercies. Its not the longest amount of time off a bike but it still sucks. You will get there eventualy.

i'm basically counting the days
no stranger to down-time unfortunately
i guess i just won't be employing my usual method of dismantling my bike to remove the temptation..
Gotti you must be pretty happy, how"s the hand feeling/looking?

Here in Bournemouth last year the council spent more money on compensation claims than actually fixing the roads...

that is amazing
i hope southwark fold as easily
wouldn't mind getting some of that council tax money back