Dr. Ram Paltisenior physician of the hand surgery department
In cases of hand fractures, surgical intervention is very complex due to the small size of the bones; fractures often heal improperly, making it extremely difficult to restore the bone's shape.
At the leading Israeli clinic Top Ichilov, the Hand Surgery Center employs advanced microsurgical techniques to correct any bone displacements and restore full hand function.
For the treatment of hand fractures, the Center uses a revolutionary method: treating fractures with stem cells extracted from the patient's own tissues or blood and injected into the area of the slowly healing fracture.
For the treatment of hand fractures, the clinic also widely employs bone reconstruction and transplantation.
Treatment of Hand Fractures: Recommendations
Experienced physicians at the Hand Surgery Center will do everything possible to alleviate pain and promote faster healing of the fracture. However, their efforts will be in vain or, at least, not as effective if the patients themselves do not follow several recommendations:
- It is very important to get an X-ray as soon as possible after the fracture and to see a doctor, providing them with the X-ray of the fracture before the cast is applied.
- Initially, a splint is applied to the fracture, consisting of plaster on one side and fabric on the other, allowing the hand to swell (a natural phenomenon with fractures) without the swelling obstructing blood circulation. The splint is replaced with a cast only after a few days when the broken limb requires more stabilization; however, the cast blocks blood circulation, so more careful monitoring of the healing process is required after the cast is applied.
- For the first two days after the cast is applied, while it is still wet, special care must be taken not to wet the cast or the fabric of the splint: the cast may break down, and the fabric will not dry and may severely irritate the skin.
- The broken arm should be kept at shoulder level for three to four days or longer, as this helps with blood drainage, which alleviates pain and reduces swelling. The arm should not be hung; it will be below shoulder level in a sling. While sitting or sleeping, the arm can be placed on something.
- One of the most unpleasant sensations with fractures is pain, especially severe after the anesthesia wears off. Typically, taking a pain reliever is sufficient to address this issue: codisal forte along with celcox. In the first days after the fracture, it is recommended to take these medications even if there is no pain or it is not severe. To alleviate pain, ice packs can also be applied to the fracture site.