Colles'FractureWhatisaColles'fracture?
Colles'fractureisabrokenboneinthearmnearthewrist.Thebonethatisbrokeniscalledtheradius.Theradiusistheshorterofthetwobonesofyourlowerarmandisonthethumbsideofyourarm.Thebreakusuallyresultsfromafallonanoutstretchedhand.
Howdoesitoccur?Suchinjuriesoftenoccurwhenyousliporstumbleandputoutanopenhandtobreakthefall.Suchafallcanbreakabone,especiallyifyourbonesareweakenedandbrittlefromosteoporosis.
Whatarethesymptoms?Symptomsmayinclude:
suddenpainswellingbruisingdisfigurementofthewrist.
Howisitdiagnosed?X-raysoftheforearmandwristaretaken.
Howisittreated?Youwillbegivenmedicationtolessenthepain.Ifnecessary,yourhealthcareproviderwillmovetheendsofthebrokenbonesbackintoproperalignment.Ifthebreakisverysevere,youmaybegivengeneralanesthesiasothatthebonecanberepositionedduringsurgery.Acastorsplintmaybeappliedtohelpmaintainthepositionofthebones.
AColles'fractureusuallytakesupto8weekstoheal.X-raysmaybetakenfromtimetotimeduringrecoverytoseehowitishealing.Whenthecastorsplintisremoved,theaffectedwristandthefingers,hand,andshoulderonthatsidemaybestiffforseveralmoreweeks.Yourhealthcareprovidermayprescribeexerciseandphysicaltherapy.
Youwillnotbeabletobendyourwristwhilethecastorsplintisinplace.Youmayneedsomeonetohelpyouwithdailyactivitiessuchascooking,housework,driving,andself-care（showeringanddressing）untilthecastorsplintisremoved.
OlderpeopleinpoorhealthmayneedextrahelptomaintainanindependentlifestylewhiletheyrecoverfromaColles'fracture.
Inolderadults,thewristmayappeardeformedafterthecastorsplinthasbeenremoved.Thebonemayhealinatipped-backpositionevenwhentheboneswerealignedperfectly.Thismaybemorelikelyifyouhavearthritisthatmakesitdifficulttoalignthebonesexactlywhensettingthebreak.Thisoftenlooksworsethanitfeels.
Youmayhavesomepainandweaknessinyourwristfor6to12monthsaftertheinjury.Thismaycomeandgowithchangesintheweatherandgraduallyimproves.
WhatcanIdotohelpmyself?MostpeopleregainuseoftheirwristandhandafteraColles'fracture,butexerciseandphysicaltherapymayhelpyourecovermorequicklyandmorefully.Followyourhealthcareprovider'streatmentplananddoyourexercisesregularly.
Ifosteoporosiscontributedtothebonefracture,youshouldtalktoyourprovideraboutoverallbonestrengthandwhetheranytestsortreatmentsareinorder.
PublishedbyMcKessonProviderTechnologies.
Thiscontentisreviewedperiodicallyandissubjecttochangeasnewhealthinformationbecomesavailable.Theinformationisintendedtoinformandeducateandisnotareplacementformedicalevaluation,advice,diagnosisortreatmentbyahealthcareprofessional.
DevelopedbyMcKessonProviderTechnologies.
Copyright©2005McKessonCorporationand/oroneofitssubsidiaries.AllRightsReserved.
