(Minneapolis, MN) Although the season is only few weeks old,
ParkerStore driver Donny Schatz has given his 850 horses a rest, as well as giving himself
a chance to mend from the grueling outlaw trail.
Schatz has had a short break for the past twelve days, the longest time-off he has had during the last twelve months. This has given his recent separated shoulder time to start mending. Donny recently found that he had also broken the scaphoid bone in his wrist. "The doctor said that the break has started to fuse together properly, and there wasn't any other real damage, said Donny. I think I must have hurt it during the Las Vegas accident."
The team just had a special steering wheel made, so Donny would not have to grip the steering wheel so tight. He has had his hand in a 1/2 cast in order to limit the mobility. When asked about the unfortunate luck to start off the new season, Donny replied, "It could always be a lot worse."
"Everybody is anxious to go racing again," said Danny Schatz, Donny's father. "The guys pulled out a couple of days early, and they are really fired up. Everyone has a bad swing once in a while, hopefully we have ours out of the way. We have already had to go to a new frame and have used three wings. You hate to do that so early in the year, but that's racing."
Donny and the World of Outlaws will be at the Joplin 66 Speedway in Joplin, MO on March 24-25. Check back for the latest news and results.
See more information about Donny's injury below.
The Doctor' Report
T
he scaphoid bone is crucial to the intricate function of the wrist. It endures a myriad of complex forces, including a common injury in active people--a fall on an outstretched hand, particularly when the wrist is radially deviated. The scaphoid is the most frequently injured carpal bone. In the wrist, only distal radius fractures are more common. Scaphoid injuries are most commonly seen in young men, are often misdiagnosed as sprained wrists, and are rarely seen in children because the distal radial physis usually fails first.
Scaphoid fractures have a warranted reputation for needing close attention. Fractures of this bone can be complicated by a tenuous blood supply and a tendency for some of the fractures to be unstable. Certain scaphoid fractures require prolonged immobilization and have an increased risk of poor results. However, 60% to 70% of scaphoid fractures are stable and 90% will heal with prompt diagnosis and proper immobilization.
Family physicians handle a broad range of fractures with good clinical results. By understanding the unique characteristics of the scaphoid, certain fractures of this bone can be managed with confidence.
A Delicate Anatomic Balance
The scaphoid is shaped like a cashew. Eighty percent of the surface is covered by articular cartilage; therefore, most fractures are intra-articular except at the tubercle. The scaphoid is a strong mechanical link between the proximal and distal carpal rows and can be regarded as an extension of the thumb ray into the wrist (figure 1). It is subjected to shearing, rotational, and compression forces from several surrounding structures.
