bloody wrist fracture....

Headhuunter

so i'm typing this 1 handed, please excuse the lack of grammar, capitals after full stops etc....

managed to have an off yesterday, was heading up to some lights and was intending to go straight on. i was in the left lane of 3 and flicked a glance over my shoulder to see if it was safe to move into the middle lane and in that fraction of a second the cars in front of me all jammed their brakes on and i piled into the back of the rear vehicle.... i wasn't going very fast but i was carrying a very heavy rucksack and the medics say that the weight of this in addition to my own body was enough to break my wrist so now i've got a colles fracture or something and am off the bike for however long it takes...

anyone got any experience of these?

also i broke the rear light cluster of the bt van i hit, i think it was a ford of some kind... i suppose this will be classed as my fault so i'll have to fork out? sh+t.... i was just getting fit again after some weeks of not a lot of cycling because of travel, christmas and the weather. double sh*t

rubertoe

No experience of this type of fracture, but heal up well and hope that the costs are not bad (both physical and financial).

jonginge

Oof. Hard luck, headhuunter. Had that a few times where the traffic ahead braked sharply while I was shoulder-checking. I've got away with it so far.

I've broken my wrist cycling. It's rubbish. Took about 8 weeks to get back on the bike. Turbo time?

sketchley

Ouch, hardluck there. Get well soon.

Re damage to other vehicle, from your description it does sound like your fault but IANAL. Do you have CTC, British Cycling or LCC memebership, all come with third party cover, if so then let them deal with it. If not then get in touch with the driver and offer to pay for repairs before they engage thier insurance or legal cover because if they do you'll be liable for those cost too. If only damage is a light cluster it might just be better to pay up now..... Also if you do not have membership of one of the above then get it as the third party cover is worth it as you may just of found out.

gtvlusso

Nasty! Sorry to hear about it fella - Get well soon!

Can you have a titanium upgrade on your wrist to help?

keyser__soze

Did my scaphoid (slightly different bone) towards the end of December, and still a week away from feeling comfortable enough to get back on the bike. My wrist's pretty much okay, I can move it around without pain, grip things etc but I get some pain when simulating riding on the hoods/drops and my physio (a keen cyclist) said that due to the vibrations etc you get through the bars it's best to leave it an extra couple of weeks after getting the all-clear before returning to the bike.

bigmat

Had a colles fracture to wrist years ago (not cycling related). Took a while to recover - worst thing was having a cast on and not using wrist fully meant my arm was all withered when they took it off. Apparently the join is stronger than the rest of the bone though and it is completely back to normal now, with no long term effects.

veronese68

Ouch sorry to hear that, I can only offer sympathy. Hope you heal up fast.
I once came off a motorbike whilst doing a shoulder check, as i was looking behind me I heard the sound of the car in front of me driving into the back of the car in front of him. Grabbed a handful of brake and down I went. Very embarassing.

prawny

Yup, I've done that one. Luckily no luggage and I only hit a mini so no damage done to car or rider. It's an easy crash to have.

You houshold contents insurance will cover the damage if you don't have any other third party cover, so no need to worry. Hitting the back of something stationary will (almost) always be your fault unfortuately.

fossyant

I broke a bone in my wrist some years back - very minor, but was in a plaster for 2-3 weeks. Worse bit was I was still training on the turbo (had been knocked off commuting) and the plaster started to get smelly. My hand was a mess when it came out though as the plaster had sucked all the moisture out of my skin. Was a few more weeks before it was strong enough for riding on the road.

Roastie

Bad luck dude. Take it easy & get well soon.

rjsterry

Had a few close shaves like that, including one where I'm sure I passed through the corner of the cab. Heal up soon.

BTW, didn't we do falling off about two months ago? Let's not start that again.

Headhuunter

JonGinge wrote:

Oof. Hard luck, headhuunter. Had that a few times where the traffic ahead braked sharply while I was shoulder-checking. I've got away with it so far.

I've broken my wrist cycling. It's rubbish. Took about 8 weeks to get back on the bike. Turbo time?

8 weeks, this is going to be the longest in years that i haven't been on the bike or done any exercise.... i haven't got a turbo - no space but i could do spinning at the gym, im just worried that the plaster would get sweaty and smelly!

Headhuunter

Sketchley wrote:

Ouch, hardluck there. Get well soon.

Re damage to other vehicle, from your description it does sound like your fault but IANAL. Do you have CTC, British Cycling or LCC memebership, all come with third party cover, if so then let them deal with it. If not then get in touch with the driver and offer to pay for repairs before they engage thier insurance or legal cover because if they do you'll be liable for those cost too. If only damage is a light cluster it might just be better to pay up now..... Also if you do not have membership of one of the above then get it as the third party cover is worth it as you may just of found out.

yeah i used to have bc membership but its lapsed... i haven't got the drivers details, police took my statement but left me with nothing and then i was whisked to hospital

jonginge

Headhuunter wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Oof. Hard luck, headhuunter. Had that a few times where the traffic ahead braked sharply while I was shoulder-checking. I've got away with it so far.

I've broken my wrist cycling. It's rubbish. Took about 8 weeks to get back on the bike. Turbo time?

8 weeks, this is going to be the longest in years that i haven't been on the bike or done any exercise.... i haven't got a turbo - no space but i could do spinning at the gym, im just worried that the plaster would get sweaty and smelly!

Mine wasn't a colles fracture so YMMV. It was also the longest off the bike since I'd taken up the pastime. I did a lot more walking during that convalescence

veronese68

That's dull. I also did a lot of walking after my off. Unfortunately that has done my knee more harm than good so I'm still not riding much 4 months later. I am severely unfit now.
Will they keep it in a traditional plaster cast? Completely different break, but I had pins in my finger and a plastic splint thing. I presume a wrist has to be completely immobilised for the duration.
Hope you heal fast.

Headhuunter

Veronese68 wrote:

That's dull. I also did a lot of walking after my off. Unfortunately that has done my knee more harm than good so I'm still not riding much 4 months later. I am severely unfit now.
Will they keep it in a traditional plaster cast? Completely different break, but I had pins in my finger and a plastic splint thing. I presume a wrist has to be completely immobilised for the duration.
Hope you heal fast.

The doc did mention something about possible operation to put pins in, will find out at the fracture clinic on Fri

veronese68

Good luck. I think when pinned things can heal faster.

fizz

I did my left wrist a couple of years back, snowboarding accident. Same fracture as the OP. Was in a cast from wrist to bicep for two weeks, then a wrist to elbow cast for another week and a half. Cast was a right pain and it hurt all the time and I could not get comfortable to sleep at night.

I stayed at work during this time and was walking to and from as couldnt drive or cycle due to the position the cast had my arm in.

Doc's then decided it wasnt stable and was'nt healing. So next day I was into hospital to have it plated. I was a bit apprenhensive about the operation, but in hindsight it was the best thing. I was home the next day and the the Doc signed me off for 3 weeks recovery. Pretty much straight away I had way more movement and could pick things up etc after the plate was done and the best thing was no cast !

I had about 6 weeks of Physio after that and started the Turbo sessions after talking to the physio about it. I was encouraged by the physio to use my wrist as much as possible as the early you start to move it, the more movement you get back long term.

I have pretty much 98% movement back, but it still twinges now and again and I can tell when the weather is about to change.

If they offer you the plate option, personally I'd go for it.

sketchley

Headhuunter wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Ouch, hardluck there. Get well soon.

Re damage to other vehicle, from your description it does sound like your fault but IANAL. Do you have CTC, British Cycling or LCC memebership, all come with third party cover, if so then let them deal with it. If not then get in touch with the driver and offer to pay for repairs before they engage thier insurance or legal cover because if they do you'll be liable for those cost too. If only damage is a light cluster it might just be better to pay up now..... Also if you do not have membership of one of the above then get it as the third party cover is worth it as you may just of found out.

yeah i used to have bc membership but its lapsed... i haven't got the drivers details, police took my statement but left me with nothing and then i was whisked to hospital

As someone else said home insurance might cover it...

dhartka

so just broke rt wrist colles fx...HOW LONG TILL I CAN ROAD RIDE/???

jimmypippa

Sketchley wrote:

Ouch, hardluck there. Get well soon.

Re damage to other vehicle, from your description it does sound like your fault but IANAL. Do you have CTC, British Cycling or LCC memebership, all come with third party cover, if so then let them deal with it. If not then get in touch with the driver and offer to pay for repairs before they engage thier insurance or legal cover because if they do you'll be liable for those cost too. If only damage is a light cluster it might just be better to pay up now..... Also if you do not have membership of one of the above then get it as the third party cover is worth it as you may just of found out.

Your household insurance might also cover it

ETA: Doh, just seen the date of the post

Headhuunter

dhartka wrote:

so just broke rt wrist colles fx...HOW LONG TILL I CAN ROAD RIDE/???

I was in plaster for I think 6 weeks with no riding. People suggested I try riding on rollers or whatever, but I didn't, I didn't want the plaster to get all sweaty and smelly. After the plaster was off, I think I was back riding to work within 2 weeks. Riding makes the bone ache at first, vibrations from the road through the bars are uncomfortable but my physio told me that, within reason, this was good as you need to start putting pressure through the bone to re increase bone density. What you've got to watch for though is the muscle weakness. All the muscles in your forearm and to some extent, upper arm, will be wasted and about as strong as when you were about 5 years old. Braking effectively was quite tough as I just didn't face the strength to pull hard on the levers so watch out for emergency stop situations

Gallywomack

Very sympathetic about the circumstances of the crash, like many I've had a couple of near misses in similar circumstances - horrible moment when you realise what's happening.

I had a drunken tumble on a stag do a few weeks back and did some kind of soft tissue damage to my right hand (put it out to break my fall). It's surprisingly debilitating, I don't get any pain for a while then I'll try to do something innocuous like clipping my nails and be in agony. Just about OK riding, sometimes slightly painful when braking hard or if I get a big jolt but otherwise OK. Hope it doesn't take too long to clear up :x