DISTAL RADIUS WRIST FRACTURES

October 29, 2019

Paul Nielsen, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon

How is a Distal Radius Fracture Diagnosed?

• Pain in the wrist after a fall or injury
  • Swelling, bruising, and deformity are also common
• X-Rays are used to check for a distal radius fracture
  • Occasionally a CT scan is used if the wrist is badly fractured

What Are Common Causes of Distal Radius Fractures?

• Falling onto an outstretched arm is the most common cause
  • Higher energy trauma such as car wrecks, sports, and falls from greater heights also occur
• Osteoporosis or weakening of the bones makes the wrist bone more fragile
  • Older patients are more likely to break their wrist with less severe falls

What Are the Treatment Options for Distal Radius Fractures?

• Casts and braces
  • Fractures lined up well can often be treated with just immobilization for about 6 weeks
  • This is also used for patients who are not good candidates for surgery
• Reductions or setting the bone
  • Fractures that are shifted or angled are often reduced to line them up correctly
  • A splint or cast is then used to hold the bone lined up
• Surgery
  • Usually involves putting a plate on the palm side of the wrist to hold the bone lined up correctly
  • Typically a same-day outpatient procedure

What Is Recovery Like After Surgery?

• Patients are in a splint holding the wrist still for the first two weeks after surgery
  • You are able to move and use your other fingers immediately post-op
  • A removable splint is used until 6 weeks after surgery
• Exercises to move the wrist start at 2 weeks after surgery
  • Strengthening starts 6 weeks after surgery
• Most patients regain good function of their wrist
• Rarely the plate will be removed after the fracture has healed

Worried about a distal radius fracture? Call 308-865-2570 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Nielsen. Same day appointments are typically available. No referral required.

About the Author

Paul Nielsen, MD is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand & upper extremity surgery at New West Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery in Kearney, NE.