Breaking the middle of your forearm in a car crash
The view from an orthopedic trauma surgeon and a hand therapist
Your forearm has two bones, the radius and the ulna. When you turn your palm up or down, the radius rolls around the ulna. A hard hit can snap one or both of them in the middle of the forearm. How the bones line up as they heal shapes everyday tasks. Think of turning your keys in a lock, carrying a plate or washing your face. A cut over the break can leave the bone open to infection. [1]
Find out what else the break touched
Ask if one bone broke or both. Also ask whether the wrist or elbow joint was hurt. A joint injury can be easy to miss next to a bent forearm. Find out what the X rays show about how the bones line up and whether they are rotated. In adults, many breaks through both forearm bones need surgery to restore their shape. A single stable break may be treated in a cast, with more imaging later to check it. [1]
Guard the repair while cleared joints keep moving
Get clear answers on how to support the arm and what you’re allowed to lift. Ask when you can move your fingers, wrist, elbow and forearm. Don’t test turning the forearm against resistance until your team clears you. If your hand swells, ask how to raise it. Ask, too, whether the splint fits the way it should. [1]
A therapist can help you get back useful turning and grip without straining the healing bones. Save the details of your operation and implant for later care. [1]
Signs of trouble with blood flow or pressure
Get emergency care if your hand turns cold or pale or you can no longer move your fingers. The same goes for severe pain that gets worse fast or numbness that spreads. Reach out to your fracture team if the wound drains or you get a fever. Also call if the cast gets wet or feels tight, or if you stop making progress using your hand. [1]
Questions to bring to the next appointment
- Did anyone check my wrist and elbow joints for injury?
- When can I turn my palm and lift things with this arm?
- Which imaging will show the bones are staying in line?
See this week's allowed movements up close
Ask your team to show you exactly which forearm movements you’re allowed this week. [1]
Sources and further reading
This is general information from the fields of orthopedic trauma surgery and hand therapy. A break in the middle of the forearm differs from a broken wrist. Your recovery depends on the fixation, wound and movement instructions you were given.
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