Colles fracture was first explained by Abraham Colles and hence this name. The broken wrist or a fracture at the end of the wrist is called as colles fracture. The distal radius is the most common bone that gets broken in the body. Two bones are available in the forearm and distal radius is the larger than the other one called ulna. The bone gets broken even when someone fall with his hands outstretched.
Symptoms :
The broken bone will obviously cause sharp pain and swelling. The area of the wrist will become tender and warm to touch. For some children, the wrist will hang or bend evidently exposing the colles fracture. There may be bruising on the hand due to the trauma or injury and inflammation.
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Diagnoses :
Your doctor will examine the wrist and take X-ray of the affected wrist. He would study the picture of X-ray for analyzing the way in which fracture has occurred. There are many types of fracture that can happen in the wrist joint. Intra articular fracture is the broken bone in the joint and it is called extra articular when the fracture does not occur in the wrist joint. Again some types of fractures are complicated and require prolonged time for healing. A fracture in which a bone is broken into many pieces is highly difficult to treat.
Causes :
Colles fracture can happen to anyone. It can be as the result of fall or motorbike accident. Even a small fall in which the hands are subjected to force can cause a fracture in wrist. Osteoporosis patient’s can easily get fractured since the bones will not have optimal density. Even a minor fall can result in fracture in those cases. Children and elderly people are prone to get calles fracture extensively.
Pictures of Colles Fracture :
Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Colles Fracture
Treatment :
When there is pain in the wrist accompanied with swelling it is time to visit your doctor. Keep the hand in elevated position and if possible cover the wrist with a splint. If the pain is not that serious, you can apply ice pack on the wrist and wait for another day. Some type of fall would deform the shape of the wrist badly and in that case, you must rush the patient to the hospital. The fingers may lose original color due to obstruction in blood flow. Surgery is not required in all cases of wrist fracture. Your doctor will examine the nature of fracture, age of the patient and his health condition to make a decision.
Broken bones can be kept intact using casting of plaster of Paris. You will be asked to restrict the movement of arm until the bones are completely treated. Splint should be kept intact for some days until the swelling is reduced. A cast will then be added and it will be changed for every week until it gets cured. For every week, X-ray will be taken to examine the position of the bone. Finally the casting will be removed and physiotherapy is given for regaining flexibility. Bone can be straightened without opening the skin by a procedure called closed reduction. Depending on the intensity of damage, time taken for complete recovery may vary. Most of the colles fracture will get settled within a week or 10 days. Your doctor may give you pain killers for reducing pain and swelling. You need to keep the casting totally dry and always keep the forearm covered with a plastic bag to prevent moisture.