The metacarpals are the five long bones in the hand that connect the fingers to the wrist. Your child has a fracture (break) in one or more of these bones. The orthopedic (bone) specialist put a cast on your child's hand to keep it still while the bone heals. They will see your child regularly and will likely do more X-rays to make sure the bone is healing well. Most broken hands heal in about 6–8 weeks.

Take care of the cast and treat pain as instructed to keep your child comfortable while the bone heals.

Follow your health care provider's recommendations for:

• caring for the cast
• when it's OK to use the fingers of the broken hand for things like writing and picking things up
• what activities to avoid (such as sports)
• when your child can go back to sports and if they need to wear protective gear
• when to follow up
• any protective gear needed after the cast is removed

To help with swelling:

• Prop up the hand on pillows when your child is sitting down or sleeping. 
• Remind your child to wiggle the uninjured fingers and the thumb to keep blood circulating normally.

If your child has pain:

• When your child is awake, put ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel on the hand for 20 minutes every 3 hours for up to 2 days. Don't put ice directly on the skin.
• You can give medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often.

Daily care for the cast:

• Check the area around the cast. Make sure the skin isn't scratched, and the thumb and fingers aren't pale, blue, numb, or tingling.
• Make sure your child doesn't pick at or scratch under the cast.
• Don't put anything in the cast. Make sure your child doesn't put toys, food, or anything else into it.
• Keep dirt, sand, lotion, and powder away from the cast.

Keep the cast dry:

• Younger children can get a sponge bath. For regular baths or showers, you can cover the cast with:
  • two plastic bags sealed at the top with a rubber band (or tape)
  • plastic wrap covered with a plastic bag that is sealed at the top
  • a waterproof cast protector
• If the cast gets splashed, blow air into it from a hair dryer on the cool setting.

• Blisters, rashes, or raw spots appear on the skin around the cast.
• Your child's pain isn't helped by pain medicine. 
• Your child gets a fever.
• The cast is too loose or too tight.
• The cast gets wet, is damaged, or has a foul odor.

How does a broken hand happen? Common causes of a hand fracture include falls, sports injuries (such as from boxing or basketball), slamming the hand in a door, punching, or a car accident. 

When can my child return to sports? It depends on the type of broken bone and what sport your child wants to play. If the hand is healing well, your child might be able to go back to sports within a few weeks if they wear protective gear for the hand. Your orthopedic specialist will help you decide when it's safe for your child to go back to sports.