Broken wrist

With a broken wrist one or more bones in the wrist region are broken. A fracture usually results from a fall on the outstretched hand. A broken wrist causes severe pain and sometimes an abnormal position of the forearm can be seen.

The wrist is a complex joint that is made up of two forearm bones and eight carpal bones. A broken wrist refers to a break of one or both forearm bones: the ulna (ulna) and/or the radius (radius). The end of the radius is most often involved in a break. A break in one or more of the carpal bones is also regarded as a wrist fracture. The severity of a broken wrist can vary from just a crack in the bone to a displacement of the bone fragments.

How does a broken wrist occur?

A broken wrist usually occurs due to a fall on the outstretched hand. This trauma (accident) is also known as FOOSH trauma, which stands for Fall On Outstretched Hand. In addition to a fall, a direct blow to the wrist or hand can also cause a fracture. Combat sports or sports activities with a risk of falling, such as skating or snowboarding, increase the chance of a broken wrist. The same applies to people who have an underlying bone disease or osteoporosis (bone demineralisation).

Symptoms of a broken wrist

Complaints that can occur with a broken wrist are severe pain, swelling, bruising and a deformity of the wrist. The pain, usually sharp in nature, increases with movement of the wrist or hand.

Diagnosis of a broken wrist

The diagnosis of a broken wrist can in many cases already be made after a consultation and physical examination by a (general) practitioner. Nevertheless, an X-ray will almost always be taken to visualise the severity and location of the break.

If necessary, it can be decided to additionally perform a CT scan or MRI scan. These tests can visualise the break in even more detail and also provide more information about accompanying soft-tissue damage to, for example, nerves or muscles.

Treatment of a broken wrist

Treatment depends on the location and severity of the break. With a crack in the bone, a non-operative treatment will almost always be chosen. To protect the bone and to allow it to heal well, a plaster period of 4 to 6 weeks is often chosen.

With a break in which the bones are not aligned (unstable fracture), there are several treatment options. A reduction (repositioning), in which the bone is put back under local anaesthetic if necessary, is preferred and is followed by a period of plaster.

The other option is an operation in which the surgeon fixes the bone with pins and plates. This procedure is mainly performed in severe fractures or people with poor bone quality.

In all cases it is important to train the wrist again after the period of plaster or enforced rest. Important treatment goals are restoring the mobility of the wrist and the muscle strength of the forearm and hand muscles.

The hand physiotherapist is ideally suited to guide this treatment process properly. treatment options that are frequently used include mobilising techniques, exercise therapy, medical taping and treatments to reduce pain.