Hand Fracture and Training

[Trewarin]

Mr Rippetoe,

I'm writing in the hope you've had some trainee's with anger problems and poor boxing technique.

8 weeks ago I came about a "boxers fracture" in my dominant hand, I managed this with the aid of a fellow trapeze artists head. I opted for the non-surgical reduction of a really beautiful spiral fracture of my 5th metacarpal, it's almost ready to come out of plaster and me start using it again, so I was wondering if:

A) there's a safe way for me to get back to squatting before I can hold the bar with both hands, are their any one handed squatters on this board?

B) none of the orthopedic surgeons I've seen have given me any clear idea of whether I can place load on the hand in any of the following: pushups, handstands, hanging from a trapeze, tumbling etc.
or even how long until I could START.
Obviously bench can be a subsitute for pushups, press for handstands and light deadlifts for trapeze to get that hands grip strength back up, but they said "no heavy workouts or gripping", have you had any trainee's with this fracture... how long until it was safe to lift again?

Thank-you for all the work you've put into the 3rd edition of SS, each edition is so much better than the previous that I'm hoping you get to work on the 4th ASAP.

[Mark Rippetoe]

There was a one-handed (one-armed) squatter on the board, but the posts were lost in the crash. It can be done with a MantaRay thingee, but I don't think it's necessary for you. Just high-bar until the hand is better, and trying to avoid placing any leverage on the metacarpals. In other words, keep the bar as close to your wrist and as far from your fingers as possible. Same for presses and benches. If you're careful, you can train almost normally. I doubt you can tolerate any tension on the hand right now, so your trapeze shit will have to wait another month. The key to healing it is the movement: the fracture has to "perceive" the load, but the load cannot be sufficient to disrupt the healing fracture.

[f4thpathway]

Mwhities has one arm. Ask him what he does.

I once had the same fracture and wore the cast for an hour. I removed it with a Swiss Army knife so I could deploy to invade Kosovo. I kept the temp splint thing for as-needed use. It was helpful. Anything is possible so you have to decide for yourself what is appropriate. I did a lot of leg presses (no racks on that ship) and was benching in two months. The only people not telling me what not to do were other guys who lifted and had gone through the same thing.

You could look into belt squats if there are too many post-cast difficulties. And basic dexterity will be a hassle after 8 week of wearing a cast. That will probably be more of an obstacle than anything else. The hand itself should be healed and structurally sound. Usage, not quite. You will be able to press and bench as Rip explained but there will be more issues than just the hand. 8 weeks is a long time to be running one-handed.

[PerseusStoned]

http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=28145

He's (mwhities) got his progress/technique videos posted here.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Same fracture, did not get it surgically reduced. Opted for the splint over the plaster.

Took 7 days off training with weights. Started back as normal with tape/wraps for support for bench press and press.

Honestly deadlifts were the hardest for me to work back up to. 5 weeks later and I was pulling like normal. This is just a speed bump. Train through it appropriately and don't be an idiot.

[Tamara Reynolds]

If you decide to use the manta ray:

[Trewarin]

#5th MC2.JPG#5th MC.JPG

Well, It's out of the cast now.
As of 5 hours ago.

Attached is the original imaging, before reduction. I'll upload the current imaging once I get a digital copy...and you can all play spot the difference.

8 weeks later and its looking like a dogs breakfast in there, and I have 1 degree or flexion in the metacarpophalangeal joint, and maybe 2 degrees extension.
I tried holding a couple of things today to see how far off a barbell I am, I can hold anything my thumb and forefinger can manage... anything more than that and I get sharp pain up my every-tendon in that arm.

The muscle wastage in that arm is enough to make me tear up, I look like a lefty/chronic masturbator.
Even the hand therapist's suggestion of squeezing a foam ball seems like a no go... I might have to recruit my girlfriend for something to squeeze.

I've been drinking my milk Rip, why won't my hand put on weight? Can post a form vid of the hand if needed.

[mwhities]

Hi!

If you have any questions, I'll answer them the best I can.

I recommend the MantaRay as well. I feel that if it wasn't for this piece of equipment, I would not be lifting at all.

Here is my YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/onearmstrength/

Again, feel free to ask me anything. If you need a certain angle recorded or whatever, just ask.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The muscle wastage in that arm is enough to make me tear up, I look like a lefty/chronic masturbator.
Even the hand therapist's suggestion of squeezing a foam ball seems like a no go... I might have to recruit my girlfriend for something to squeeze.

If there was no neurological damage, the atrophy will reverse itself in a few weeks, so calm down about that. The edge of that fracture is pretty damn sharp, and you don't want to develop a psuedoarthrosis in your hand, so don't fuck this up.