X-rays can show if the bone is broken and whether there is displacement (a gap between broken bones). X-rays are the most common and widely available diagnostic imaging technique. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will order x-rays of the wrist. If the injury is very painful, if the wrist is deformed or numb, or the fingers are not pink, it is necessary to go to the emergency room. An ice pack can be applied to the wrist and the wrist can be elevated until a doctor is able to examine it. The wrist may be protected with a splint. If the injury is not very painful and the wrist is not deformed, it may be possible to wait until the next day to see a doctor. In many cases, the wrist hangs in an odd or bent way (deformity). SymptomsĪ broken wrist usually causes immediate pain, tenderness, bruising, and swelling. Wrist guards may help to prevent some fractures, but they will not prevent them all. Good bone health remains an important prevention option. For example, a car accident or a fall off a bike may generate enough force to break a wrist. Many distal radius fractures in people older than 60 years of age are caused by a fall from a standing position.Ī broken wrist can happen even in healthy bones, if the force of the trauma is severe enough. Osteoporosis (a disorder in which bones become very fragile and more likely to break) can make a relatively minor fall result in a broken wrist. The most common cause of a distal radius fracture is a fall onto an outstretched arm. Rosemont, IL, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2010. Reproduced with permission from JF Sarwark, ed: Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care, ed 4. This illustration shows some of the types of distal radius fractures. Sometimes, the other bone of the forearm (the ulna) is also broken. Intra-articular fractures, open fractures, comminuted fractures, and displaced fractures (when the broken pieces of bone do not line up straight).are more difficult to treat, for example. It is important to classify the type of fracture, because some fractures are more difficult to treat than others.
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