Shaft fractures of the long bones of the forearm are prone to severe displacement. Thus, all suspected forearm and wrist fractures must be radiographed. These injuries can be particularly problematic because initial radiographs are frequently negative, and failure to immobilize early in the course can result in nonunion or avascular necrosis. Hand and finger. Metacarpal fractures commonly occur in contact sports.
Phalangeal fractures occur frequently in ball and contact sports.
Because these situations are so common in sports, it behooves physicians to know proper splint principles, application, and preparation. Common elbow fractures in children. A review of scaphoid fracture healing in competitive athletes. Dr Meredith is a flight surgeon at McDonald Army Community Hospital at Ft Eustis, Virginia. Dr Butcher is the director of primary care sports medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at D. D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.