Wrist Fracture

A wrist fracture is a fracture or fissure in one or more bones in the wrist. The most common injuries occur to the wrist when people try to hold on during a fall and when they fall to the ground with their hand outstretched.

You may be more likely to get a wrist fracture if you play sports like in-line skating or snowboarding, or have a disease in which the bones become thinner and more fragile (osteoporosis).

It is important to treat a wrist fracture as soon as possible. Otherwise, the bones may weld in the wrong alignment, which could affect your ability to do everyday activities, such as writing or buttoning a shirt. Early treatment also helps minimize pain and stiffness.

A fractured wrist can cause the following signs and symptoms:

Severe pain that may be worse if things are held or squeezed or if the hand or wrist is moved, Swelling, Tenderness, Bruising, Obvious deformity, such as a twisted wrist.

If you think you may have a wrist fracture, see a doctor immediately, especially if you have numbness, swelling, or difficulty moving your fingers. A delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to poor healing, decreased range of motion, and decreased grip strength.

If the broken ends of the bone are not properly aligned, spaces may be created between the bone pieces or fragments may overlap. Your doctor will need to manipulate the pieces and put them back in place with a procedure called reduction. Depending on your pain and swelling, you may need local or general anesthesia before this procedure.

Regardless of the treatment, it is essential that you move your fingers regularly while the fracture heals to prevent stiffness. Ask your doctor how to move them. If you smoke, quit. Smoking can slow or prevent bones from healing.

You may need surgery to implant pins, plates, rods, or screws to keep the bones in place until they heal. A bone graft may be used to help with healing. You may need these options if you have them:

• An open fracture
• A fracture in which bone pieces move before healing
• Loose bone fragments that could enter a joint
• Damage to surrounding ligaments, nerves, or blood vessels
• Fractures that extend into a joint