The most common types of boxer’s fractures occur in the knuckle bones of the ring and little finger. There are many benefits of boxing, both physical and mental, and it is good to know how you can prevent boxing injuries from occurring.What we commonly know as a “boxer’s fracture” refers to a break at the neck of the metacarpal bones, which are the bones of the hand that form the knuckles. Repetitive force on an area can cause excessive stress to the region, making it more vulnerable to injury.īoxing is a great way to get in a fun, high intensity work out. Giving your hand a rest is also a good way to prevent injury. For an actual fight, only a certain amount of gauze and tape is allowed, no sponge, so they try to tape the area more, but it’s harder to protect a pre-existing injury. For boxing classes and training, the hand is wrapped, and a sponge can be placed on the knuckles and secured with tape to allow for extra padding and shock absorption. Kyle Provenzano of Schott’s Boxing, who is an athletic coach, cut man, physical education teacher, and a former standout amateur boxer, talked to me about what can be done to help prevent these fractures. Are There Ways to Help Prevent a Boxer’s Fracture?Īppropriate hand protection is used to try and prevent boxers’ fractures from occurring and to protect pre-existing injuries. A physical therapist can help by providing skilled services to the affected hand as well as to other muscles and joints affected by the injury. Along with the hand, strength of other muscles, such as those around the elbow and shoulder, can be affected since activity of the injured arm is limited with the hand injury. A physical therapist can provide hands on techniques to improve motion and any residual pain, as well as teach patients exercises to improve grip strength, wrist strength, and motion of the fingers and wrist. How can a Physical Therapist Help?Īfter the fracture heals, and the immobilizer, pins, or wires are removed, it is common to experience loss of hand strength, loss of grip strength, and reduced motion and ability to move the finger and wrist. The most common operative treatment is placing pins or wires through the finger bones while the fracture heals for optimal bone alignment and reduced finger deformity. Operative treatments are used for more severe fractures with larger bone deformities. Immobilization typically lasts for a period of 4-6 weeks but depends on the symptoms and updated x-rays. Immobilization can range from taping the pinky finger to the ring finger, to having the fingers and/or hand in a splint or cast. For simple fractures, reduction (aligning the bone properly) and immobilization are common. Treatment for this fracture depends on the severity. Symptoms of this type of fracture vary depending on the severity of the injury, but most often include painfulness to touch, swelling, pain with gripping objects, and knuckle and/or pinky finger deformity. This type of fracture occurs when the hand hits an object in the position of a closed fist, and it occurs more easily when the hand is unprotected. The fracture site is typically at the neck of the metacarpal, which is located just below the knuckle of the pinky finger. A boxer’s fracture is a fracture to the 5th metacarpal, or the long bone of the pinky finger that connects the wrist to the finger bones themselves.
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