Wrist fracture or Distal Radius Fracture is a medical term used to denote a broken wrist. The human wrist comprises of 8 small bones which are together joined with the two bones of the forearm, ulna and the radius. Breakage or crack in any of these ten bones is referred to as a wrist fracture. Most of the wrist fractures involve the breaking of the radius bone and are termed as the Distal Radius Fracture. Fractures increase the risk of Osteoarthritis in the affected joint if not treated properly.
Causes
- A direct fall on an outstretched hand
- Physical combat
- Automobile accident
- Sports related injuries
- Weak bone structure due to calcium deficit diet
- Osteoporosis
Symptoms
- Severe pain
- Visible deformity
- Bruising and redness
- Swelling and tenderness in the arm and wrist
- Inability to move the hand or loss of function
- A piece of bone may protrude out of skin
- The hand and fingers may go numb or turn white
- Stiffness
Diagnosis
- The orthopedic doctor may ask questions about the cause of injury
- Evaluation of the patient’s medical history and previous injuries, if any
- Thorough physical examination of the injured hand
- X-ray imaging may be done to assess bone damage
- MRI scan may help to detect minute fractures and ligament tears
- CT scans show damage to nerves, blood vessels and soft tissues
Treatment
- The doctor may recommend to support the injured wrist with a splint
- Applying ice packs for a few days following the injury
- Anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed by the doctor
- Taking rest and avoiding strenuous activities that may aggravate pain
- Fracture reduction- The doctor may manually put the displaced and broken pieces of bones together. The patient is generally given local anesthetic before the treatment
- The patient may be advised to undergo physical therapy for a couple of months after removing the cast to restore joint function
- Surgical fixation in case of compound fracture may be done by implanting screws, rods and plates
- External fixation- The surgeon may immobilize the broken joint by holding it between two metal plates and passing a rod across the bone