Wrist injuries are incredibly common. Whether it’s a slip and fall, a sports mishap, or some other kind of accident, sprains and fractures happen.
But knowing the difference between a sprain and a fracture is key to getting the right treatment and healing properly. A sprain means you’ve damaged the ligaments in your wrist, while a fracture means you’ve actually broken one (or more) of the bones.
So, how to tell if your wrist is broken or sprained? This article will give you the information you need to understand your injury and help you decide the next steps to take.
Anatomy and function of the wrist
A complex network of bones, ligaments, and tendons gives the wrist its flexibility and strength.
Bones of the wrist
Your wrist is made up of eight small bones called carpals. These bones connect your hand to the two long bones in your forearm, the radius and ulna.
Ligaments and tendons
Ligaments are tough, fibrous tissue bands that connect bones to each other, giving stability to the joint. One of the most important ligaments in the wrist is the scapholunate ligament.
Tendons are similar to ligaments, but they connect muscles to bones, which allows your body to move.
Functionality and use
The wrist is a masterpiece of engineering, allowing for a wide range of motion, including:
- Flexion (bending the wrist down)
- Extension (bending the wrist up)
- Abduction (moving the wrist toward the thumb)
- Adduction (moving the wrist toward the pinky finger)
The wrist is essential to nearly every daily activity, from typing on a keyboard to lifting heavy objects.
What is a Wrist Sprain?
A wrist sprain is what happens when the ligaments supporting your wrist stretch too far or even tear.
Falls are a common cause of wrist sprains, especially when you try to break the fall by sticking out your hand. A sudden twisting motion can also cause a sprain.
Sprains are classified into three grades, depending on how much damage there is to the ligaments:
- Grade 1 sprains: Involve a mild stretching of the ligaments, with only minimal tearing.
- Grade 2 sprains: Involve a partial tear of the ligaments.
- Grade 3 sprains: Involve a complete tear of one or more ligaments.
Symptoms of a Sprained Wrist
If you’ve sprained your wrist, you’ll likely have pain and tenderness, especially right over the injured ligament. Swelling and bruising often develop around the wrist joint.
You’ll probably find that you can’t move your wrist like normal without feeling pain.
What is a wrist fracture?
A wrist fracture means that one or more of the bones in your wrist has been broken.
The most common type of wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture, in which the larger bone in your forearm breaks near your wrist. Another common wrist fracture is a scaphoid fracture, involving one of the small carpal bones in your wrist.
Common causes of wrist fractures
Like wrist sprains, wrist fractures are often the result of falls in which you try to catch yourself with an outstretched hand. Direct blows to the wrist can also cause fractures, as can high-impact trauma from car crashes and other accidents.
Symptoms of a broken wrist
If you’ve broken your wrist, you’ll likely experience:
- Intense pain at the time of injury and afterward
- Rapid swelling and bruising around the wrist
- Visible deformity or angulation of the wrist
- Significant difficulty or inability to move the wrist
Key Differences Between a Broken and Sprained Wrist
So, how can you tell whether you’ve broken your wrist or merely sprained it? While the symptoms can overlap, here are some key distinctions:
Pain Intensity and Location
- Sprain: Pain tends to be localized to the injured ligament and may not be intense at first.
- Fracture: Pain is often more severe, especially when you move or put pressure on the area. The pain may also radiate up your arm. It’s important to keep in mind that fracture pain can sometimes be mild or dull, contrary to popular assumption.
Swelling and Bruising
- Sprain: Swelling and bruising may develop gradually over a few hours.
- Fracture: Swelling and bruising tend to appear more quickly and may be more extensive than with a sprain.
Deformity
- Sprain: Sprains usually don’t cause any visible deformity.
- Fracture: Deformity (meaning the wrist looks misshapen) is a crucial sign of a fracture. Obvious deformities, such as an unnatural bend or bone matter breaking through the skin, indicate a fracture.
Movement
- Sprain: Some range of motion may be possible, though it will likely be painful.
- Fracture: Movement is severely limited or impossible. You may be unable to move your wrist at all.
Sounds During Injury
- Sprain: You might hear a popping sound when the injury happens.
- Fracture: You might hear a cracking sound at the time of the injury.
Diagnosis and when to see a doctor
If you’ve hurt your wrist, here are some warning signs that should prompt you to seek medical care.
Warning signs
- Severe pain. If the pain is intense and doesn’t get better when you rest and ice it, see a doctor.
- Obvious deformity. If your wrist looks misshapen, you should have it checked out right away.
- Numbness or tingling. Numbness or tingling in your hand or fingers could mean that there’s nerve damage or compression.
- Inability to move the wrist. If you can’t move your wrist, it’s a serious sign that requires immediate medical help.
Diagnostic procedures
To diagnose your wrist injury, a doctor will likely:
- Perform a physical exam to assess the injury
- Order X-rays to see whether there’s a fracture and how severe it is
- Order an MRI to look for ligament damage or soft tissue injuries
Importance of early intervention
Getting an early diagnosis and the right treatment is key to a full recovery and can help prevent complications down the road. If you’re concerned about your wrist injury, reach out to a healthcare provider.
Treatment Options and Recovery
Whether you’ve sprained or broken your wrist, there are treatments that can help you heal.
Treating a Sprained Wrist
For a sprained wrist, your doctor may recommend:
- RICE method. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) is often the first line of treatment for sprains.
- Pain relievers. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help manage the pain.
- Immobilization. A splint or brace can immobilize the wrist and promote healing.
- Hand therapy. Occupational or physical therapy can help restore range of motion and strength after the sprain has healed.
Treating a Broken Wrist
For a broken wrist, your doctor may recommend:
- Immobilization. A cast or splint is generally used to immobilize the fracture and allow it to heal properly.
- Reduction. If the bone fragments are out of alignment, a doctor may need to perform a reduction to put them back into their correct position.
- Surgery. In cases of severe fractures or fractures that don’t heal well with casting, surgery may be necessary.
- Rehabilitation. Once the bone has healed, rehab exercises are often prescribed to help you regain full use of your hand and wrist.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Sprains typically heal within 2 to 10 weeks, and mild sprains often get better with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication.
Broken wrists can take longer to heal — maybe 6 to 8 weeks or more. The majority of healing usually happens within 6 to 12 weeks.
The Bottom Line
Sprains involve stretching or tearing ligaments, while fractures involve a break in the bone. Knowing the difference is key to getting the right treatment.
If you’re unsure whether your wrist is sprained or broken, or if you’re experiencing severe pain, numbness, or can’t move your wrist, don’t wait. See a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis and treatment plan. They may recommend an X-ray and other tests.
To help prevent wrist injuries, wear wrist guards when participating in sports or activities that put you at risk. You can also strengthen your wrist muscles with exercises to improve stability and reduce the chance of injury.