A broken wrist may require surgery to reset and avoid future complications

Q. Two days ago I was walking my dog and I tripped when the dog lunged. I fell on my left wrist and felt a crack. The emergency-room physician stated there was a fracture of the wrist bone that was out of place and partially crushed. The hand specialist I was sent to stated that surgery was the best option.

I am not sure why the bone could just not be put back in place and be put in a cast without surgery. I am scheduled for surgery next week and wanted to know if there are alternative treatments and whether surgery is truly necessary. A. Many wrist fractures can be treated without surgery if the alignment of the bones is good and there is no shortening of the wrist or displacement of the joint.

Fractures that are out of place, shortened, or do not have a congruent joint surface usually need surgery to help prevent persistent pain, loss of motion and the development of arthritis.

The surgeon will attempt to restore anatomic alignment of the wrist and usually use a metal plate and screws to hold the bones in place. This allows for earlier rehab and a better functional result.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and Inter Miami. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net