Wrist Fractures
The wrist contains 8 small bones that form a joint with the two bones in the forearm, the Radius and the Ulna.
Diseases & Conditions
Wrist Fractures
The wrist contains 8 small bones that form a joint with the two bones in the forearm, the Radius and the Ulna.
The term ‘wrist fracture’ tends to refer to a break in one or both of the forearm bones near the wrist. The Radius is the more commonly affected.
What causes it

What are the signs and symptoms?
- Severe pain that might worsen when gripping or squeezing or moving your hand or wrist
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Bruising
- Obvious deformity, such as a bent wrist
How is it Diagnosed?
How is it Treated?
Age of injury:
How much the fracture has moved from it’s normal position:
How many pieces the bone has broken into:
Has the fracture line entered or disrupted the surface of the joint:
Other associated Injuries:
What does the Procedure Involve?
The nature of the operation will depend on the fracture type and the delay between the injury and the operation. The operation will be performed with you asleep and in most cases is performed as a day case procedure.
The more straight forward wrist fractures will be fixed with small wires (K wires) after the wrist has been reset to allow the new position to be maintained. The more complex fractures often require an open operation where the fragments are fixed back together with a combination of screws and a plate. Rarely an external fixator may be required and this sits over the wrist outside the skin and is only really used where the wrist is badly damaged.

Aftercare
Return To Work
Driving
Complications
Like with any surgery there are a number of small risks associated with this operation.
- Infection (1%) is a risk with all surgery. In the majority of cases these are infections around the wound and can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The more unusual deep-seated infections however can require admission to hospital and surgery to clean the wound out if necessary.
- Swelling and Stiffness can remain for many months following surgery. It is important to elevate the limb and keep all joints that are not immobilised with a splint, active.
- Fracture not healing (non-union) although most fractures will go on to heal, there is a risk that the fracture may not heal and may require further surgery.
- Scar Sensitivity is often a problem with surgery in the hand, particularly the palm. This is often self-limiting and daily massage of the scar can shorten the duration of the symptoms. The sensitivity does settle is all cases with time.
- Nerve Injury is a potential but very rare risk with this surgery. Often the nerves at greatest risk are the tiny nerves supplying skin in the area of the wound and cutting through these may result in an area of numbness that is not often troublesome.
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is an extremely rare (1%) complication that can follow any injury or surgery to a limb. In this situation the nerves in the arm over-react to the point where the hand becomes very painful, swollen and sensitive. This condition does improve with time but can be problematic for many months (see section on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome).
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