Wrist Fractures - The Consequences Of Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Wrist fractures
These breaks are more like those that occur in people with normal bone density and are often the result of an attempt to break a fall. The force of the impact usually snaps the end of the radius, the long bone that runs from the elbow to the thumb, often producing a characteristic break known as a Colles' fracture. Normally, after a wrist fracture occurs, the arm is immobilized in a cast, splint, or sling and allowed to heal, although surgery is sometimes needed. Wrist fractures usually mend completely. However, they can occasionally result in deformity and loss of some function.
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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