A hairline, or stress, wrist fracture can affect any of the bones in the distal forearm or wrist. Common causes of a hairline wrist fracture include falls, contact in an athletic sport, car accidents and repetitive force without rest. MayoClinic.com states that athletes, female athletes with abnormal or absent periods and those with osteoporosis or other bone conditions are at the highest risk of developing a hairline wrist fracture. A patient with a suspected hairline wrist fracture should be aware of the symptoms and know when to seek treatment.
Pain
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states that a patient with a hairline wrist fracture may experience acute, or sudden, pain at the time of the wrist fracture. Pain may be sharp when the fracture first occurs, but then progresses to a dull, achy pain. Furthermore, the pain typically worsens when moving the wrist or when trying to pick up or hold objects in the hand. In this case, a patient can immediately apply ice to the hairline wrist fracture to control pain. In addition, he may take over-the-counter pain medications to relieve initial pain. X-rays should be taken to assess for a hairline fracture.
Bruising
A patient with a hairline wrist fracture may also experience bruising, according to the AAOS. This occurs because the hairline fracture may damage blood vessels in the bone or in tissue surrounding the fracture. This can cause blood to leak into surrounding tissues, which results in bruising. A bruise is typically a black to blue color that may worsen in size over the first few days. Over time, the body will reabsorb the blood that leaked into surrounding tissues and the bruise will soon shrink and disappear. A patient should see his doctor if a bruise continues to worsen or does not improve over time.
Swelling
According to the AAOS, a patient with a hairline wrist fracture will likely experience swelling after the injury. This occurs because a hairline fracture can cause inflammation, which causes fluid to build up around the injury site. As fluid continues to build up, swelling worsens in the wrist. A patient can control wrist swelling if he elevates his wrist above the level of his heart for the first 48 hours after the injury. Elevation is effective because gravity prevents further leakage of fluid into the wrist. Furthermore, a patient may take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly called NSAIDs, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, to further reduce wrist swelling. If symptoms do not improve, he should see his doctor.
