Colles Fracture Information

COLLES FRACTURE is a break in your forearm just behind your wrist. It is caused by falling forward onto an outstretched arm snapping the end of the radial forearm bone. The break itself itself is sometimes called a 'dinner fork' fracture because it resembles the curve of a fork A.

Symptoms of Colles Fracture

• History of falling onto an outstretched arm.
• Tenderness over wrist.
• Bruising and swelling over the wrist.
• Tented 'fork' deformity of wrist.

The treatment of a Colles fracture is to straighten the two bone ends and get rid of the 'fork'. This is done in Emergency Departments after getting an X-ray to confirm a Colles fracture. The Emergency doctor with then put you into a light sleep with an anesthetic. He will then pull on your hand and an assistant will pull at your elbow until the Colles fracture snaps back into place. This new orientation is set with a plaster splint and a check X-ray done prior to discharge. Follow up will then be arranged in a week at a fracture clinic and a full conical cast applied for a month. Rarely, in resistant cases, surgery may be required to hold the bone ends in place.

Itchy Cast Remedy

 

Print	Home
Search Site Doctor Secrets!