I bet it was a wrist bone. There’s one in the wrist that won’t heal on its own without some surgical help. Others may need surgery if displaced and they can’t get it back in position.
It’s natural to put your hand out to catch yourself then break a wrist bone in the process. Sometimes a doctor can tell what happened just by the type of break it is.
I'm working to make sure I lose weight, build up my upper body muscle strength and increase my flexibility before I go riding outside. All those can keep accidents from happening in the first place, and lessen the injuries when accidents happen.
Probably right and it hurts like hell too.
It’s a natural instinct to try to break the fall. Doesn’t work of course.
This is why professional bicycle racers do tumbling exercises during the off season. If you’re going down, gravity will inevitably win. Tumbling exercises conditions the person to tuck and roll instead. Worked for me once in a mountain bike race and twice at the velodrome.
I'll vouch for that. Broke mine so badly in August that the forearm came over my wrist. Took two titanium "T's" and 12 screws to put my wrist back to where it was supposed to be and back together. Still in physical therapy to get some of the range of motion back and it looks like I'm going to permanently lose some motion of my right thumb the injury and breaks were so bad.
It's been a rough summer here. Broke a vertebrae, then fractured my tailbone, then my wrist. All one right after another, all three separate falls. Sucks getting older.
I fell on a 2 foot slippery & muddy slope and by reflex action tried to break my fall with hands. Bad move, because hurt my wrist and it is never going to heal completely, because it is till painful at certain angles after 4 years.
Best way to fall is like football players do, roll on your back.