#Distal radius fracture full#

While the cast or splint is in position you will be encouraged to maintain a full range of movement of the joints that are not included within the splint. During this time x-rays are performed to check that your fracture has not changed in position and that the bone is healing satisfactorily. If the break is not 'displaced' then the fracture can be treated with a cast for 6 weeks. It is important that the joint surfaces be as smooth as possible to reduce the chances of developing osteoarthritis, so surgery is more likely to be advised for a break that involves the joint surface. Intra-articular distal radius fractureĪn intra-articular distal radius fracture is one where the break goes through the joint surface. If the surgery is able to hold the bone fragments in position then you will be placed in a lightweight, removable splint and you will be able to start therapy to regain your range of movement immediately after the surgery. One of the potential benefits of surgery is that you do not have to be in a cast for 6 weeks after surgery. If this is the case your surgeon may recommend that you have surgery, so that a plate and screws can be used to hold the bone in the proper position while it heals. This is because the fracture is 'unstable' - that is, forces on the fragments tend to pull them apart from their original position, so while they can be pulled back into position, that position is not stable. If the bone fragments can be put back into an acceptable position you do not necessarily need surgery and you may be able to be treated with a cast for 6 weeks.Ĭommonly the bone fragments are not held perfectly in place in a cast, and they can tend to drift back to the 'displaced' position. If you have a displaced fracture then often when you visit an emergency department the doctors will give you pain medication and local anaesthetic, then try to pull or push the fracture into a better position before applying a plaster cast. Displaced/unstable distal radius fractureĪ 'displaced' fracture exists when the broken portions of the bone have moved - they can move apart, compress together and angle towards or away from each other. Once the cast or splint is removed you will be given exercises and therapy to regain the range of movement of your wrist joint and to regain the strength of your forearm and hand muscles.

$distal radius fracture$

In many cases it is so hard to see the fracture on the x-ray that you won't be able to pick it unless someone with a trained eye points it out.Īn undisplaced fracture is treated with a cast or restrictive splint for 6 weeks. This type of fracture can be treated in a plaster or fibreglass cast and does not require surgery. An 'undisplaced' fracture is one where the parts of the bone have not significantly moved (they are not 'displaced'). The term 'displacement' refers to whether the broken portions of the bone have moved in relation to each other. Image Credit (right): HandDecide from Orca Health Types of distal radius fractures Undisplaced/stable distal radius fracture

$distal radius fracture$

If you have a 'nasty' fracture a CT scan may be performed prior to surgery to facilitate surgical planning. In most cases the diagnosis and treatment is planned from plain x-rays.

$distal radius fracture$

This depends on a number of factors, including the exact location and type of the break, whether the bone fragments have moved significantly from their normal position, your activity levels and your personal preferences. Some distal radius fractures are treated with a cast and some are treated with surgery. It is most commonly broken from an impact on the hand, such as occurs in a fall - whether that fall is from standing height, a ladder or a motorbike. The radius is one of the two bones of the forearm (see right) the 'distal' radius refers to the end portion of the radius bone. Most commonly it is fractured from a fall onto an outstretched hand. The distal radius is one of the most commonly fractured bones in the body - it's the bone that people have usually broken when they say they have a 'broken wrist'.

$distal radius fracture$