Duration with plaster | Duration of a spoke breakage

Duration with plaster

If the spoke break is not displaced, it can be treated conservatively. In this case, the arm is immobilized in a plaster cast so that the two ends of the fracture can grow together again. Here, the affected arm can often only begin to bear weight again after a period of six weeks.

During the healing phase, regular monitoring of the course of the fracture should be carried out using X-rays. This will allow us to assess the bony consolidation in the fracture gap, which is an indication of the progress of healing. However, if during one of these X-ray checks it is found that the spoke fracture has shifted further or that there is now a malposition that can no longer grow together on its own, the decision to undergo surgery must be made.

Sick leave and incapacity to work

It is not possible to make a general statement about the duration of the incapacity to work after a broken spoke. It always depends on the type of professional activity and the associated stress on the fracture site. After an operation, a certificate of residence is usually first issued by the hospital, and the certificate of incapacity to work is then handed over to the patient by the family doctor or further treating specialist.

Due to the good prognosis of a spoke fracture, in which the result of the therapy is satisfactory in most cases, the number of patients who become disabled or unable to work as a result of the fracture is very low. The vast majority of those affected can return to their old profession. However, it is always important whether the craftsman is working under very heavy strain on the ames or whether the arm is under less strain as an office worker, for example.

Simple grasping activities can usually be performed again after two to six weeks. Depending on the extent of the broken spoke, the inability to work is therefore usually between 2 and 8 weeks. The fracture site can be expected to be fully resilient after about three to six months.For this reason it can take up to half a year to regain full operational readiness in professions where a heavy load is placed on the arm. In the case of incapacity to work, it is also important to consider the distance to the place of work, since driving a car with a plaster cast or splint on is difficult.