broke bone how soon can I dive again

[Tatakai]

I fell last Sunday and broke my wrist on my right arm. Wanted to ask about diving and how soon. The doc said that it was only a hairline crack on the radial bone. I didn't think that it would affect me but was told by another that I can't dive with it. The dive that is planned is in two weeks and the depth will be 40 feet in the quarry. I go back to the doctor before the dive so I will know more then about the wrist as well.

Thanks

Tatakai

 

[gangrel441]

I had a broken radius and dislocated wrist 4 years ago, and had to sit out for over 3 months. My break required an open reduction and placement of a plate with 6 screws, and the bone needed to heal around the screws before I could dive.

I believe the danger of a broken bone is the possibility of an air pocket inside the break is the biggest danger. What I have been told is that the break needs to be closed completely before it is safe to dive again.

 

[abitton]

Call DAN, they'll give you the info you need!

1-919-684-2948

Good luck!!

Alex

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Tatakai,

Obviously your situation is very different than one where a break is so serious it requires surgical realignment and internal fixation.

It is preferable that bone fractures such as you describe be healed before the diver returns to scuba. However, given only a simple hairline fracture of a wrist bone, formation of air containing spaces within the break is not a concern at any stage.

The diver with such a fracture will want to be sure that the joint is fully functional. Strength, range of motion and flexibility must be adequate for the possible rigors of scuba and to prevent reinjury. Moreover, they must be so without the assistance of drugs that pose risks to safe diving, e.g., narcotics. Swelling should be minimal or absent.

As has been said, you and your doctor are free to contact DAN at http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/index.asp.

Please let us know what is decided.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Dive-aholic]

The issue isn't so much the effects of pressure as when you'll be able to use your hand/wrist again. In 2 weeks, will you be able to don your gear, tighten the straps, grab your cutting tool if you get entangled, etc. If your activities are limited at that time, you should put the dive off.

 

[Tatakai]

I called and talked to a very nice lady at DAN. This is what I was told and I can understand what she said, to me it seems overboard in my case but for other types of breaks it is the right thing in my opinion.
I was told that if the wrist was in a cast that I can't dive at all until after the cast comes off. If the cast is on for 6 weeks then DAN advises that you wait 6 more weeks before you dive. How ever long the cast is on wait that long afterwards before diving again.
Ok so this brings up another question that she didn't know how to answer for sure. I guess that they are doing things differently in the medical field then when they adopted this procedure of waiting. I don't have a normal cast what I have is more of a velcro splint that I can take off when ever I want. So do I wait or do I give it a few weeks and after the check up go from there. The check off dives aren't until after the check up anyways so I will be waiting that long. Today I didn't have it on much at all and I did most of what I wanted to do. I fixed the seat and handle bars on my sons bike. I baked a blackberry cobbler, and helped cook dinner as well. The thing that I am really puzzled about is that it hurts in a different area than where it is fractured, odd I guess.
Thanks everyone I will keep you posted and hope that my experience will help someone else in the future. (Not wishing any broken bones on any one.)

Tatakai

 

[Dive-aholic]

Just take it slowly. The fact that you can take the splint off and do things with your hand is great. The pain over a different area is due to the nerve and where it is routed in the area. Again, take it slow. What I would probably do is plan on diving but know that if I get to 10' and it starts hurting, the dive is over. But that's me.