There are many situations that can lead to a broken hand, but most broken hands come from three distinct mechanisms of injury:
- Breaking a fall with an outstretched hand
- Crashing a vehicle or bicycle while hands are holding a steering wheel or handlebars
- Punching a hard surface
In most cases, a broken hand refers to a fracture of the metacarpals, which are the bones that connect the base of the fingers to the wrist. These are the bones of the palm. In some cases, it refers to a fracture of the phalanges (finger bones), with or without a dislocation.