How to Wrap a Broken Hand

Anybody who has ever broken a bone knows full well the excruciating pain that accompanies the fracture. Fractured knuckles or broken wrists are common injuries associated with broken hands, typically incurred by boxers and carpenters. The hand itself contains 19 bones (excluding the bones of the wrist), so a broken hand is generally a term used to describe broken fingers or thumbs. If serious enough, the hand may need surgery for proper healing and mending of the fractured bones. You should always seek medical attention as quickly as possible if you suspect you've broken your hand, but for a temporary immobilization of the hand, you should wrap it loosely and use a splint.

Identify the broken area of your hand. It will typically be the fingers, the knuckles, the palm bones or the Metacarpals. If any bleeding is present, clean the wound with clean water or with an antiseptic cleaning agent and stop the bleeding before attempting to immobilize the hand.

Place a splint in line with the broken bone or the broken area of the hand. For example, a finger splint should mimic the affected finger in a straightened position.

Hold the end of an ace bandage onto the splint and wrap around the hand and splint loosely, several times, until you've used all of the bandage. Alternate the wrap position to even the wrap over the surface of the hand. The bandage should be tight, but should not constrict the hand at all, so as to compensate for any swelling.

Warnings

Never assume the wrapped hand will heal itself. This instruction is intended to immobilize the hand until you can seek medical attention.