A fracture of the radius is not so rare. I must say that most often it is observed in older people. In general, such an injury is characteristic when falling on an outstretched arm. Especially if a person begins to lean on his palm. In such cases, a fracture is usually formed with an offset in the direction of the thumb or to the back of the hand. Often a similar type of injury occurs in women who are in a state of premenopause, because in such cases, bone density begins to decline, and they become brittle. Also, such troubles occur in the winter, especially during ice.
Less commonly, there is a fracture of the radius, in which the fragment begins to move toward the palm of the hand. This type of injury is called the Smith Fracture. A fracture of the radius of the wrist usually occurs at a distance of 2-3 cm from the hand and in most cases occurs with a separation of the process of the elbow bone. And this significantly worsens the process of splicing.
The treatment of such an injury usually comes down to restoring the integrity and anatomy of the bone. As a rule, it is surgical, operational. The treatment option is selected depending on the injury received, as well as the degree of displacement of the fragments, the presence or absence of fragments and damage of a concomitant nature.
The primary signs of a fracture are severe pain at the site of injury, swelling of the limb, as well as some deformation of the arm, which can be seen with a simple examination. Although the correct and accurate diagnosis can be made only after radiography. If there is a hammered fracture of the radius, i.e. fracture without displacement, then a plaster cast is applied to the injured limb . Its imposition usually starts from the base of the fingers of the damaged arm and ends with 2/3 of the upper forearm. As a rule, in young people, the bones heal very quickly, so after about a week such patients can be prescribed therapeutic massage and physiotherapy. In older and older people, healing is much slower, due to age-related deterioration of bone composition.
However, this is true only if the fracture of the radial bone occurred without displacement of fragments. If there are all signs of displacement, then first the fragments are combined, and only then gypsum is applied to the damaged limb. The period of wearing a plaster cast in this case is at least a month.
Meanwhile, in the treatment of fractures, medical errors often occur , which can be associated with insufficient diagnosis of the injury, the wrong choice of treatment method, and the patient’s lack of discipline during treatment.
All these cases can sometimes lead to serious complications, the results of which are reduced ability to work and even partial disability. In principle, complications are divided into late and early. Early complications are characterized by the presence of open purulent wounds at the site of fractures, as well as by disorders and sprains of blood vessels. Late complications are associated with bone deformation at the fracture site.
If a fracture of the radius is unstable and can at any time lead to a secondary displacement of the fragments, then surgical treatment is performed. In this case, the fragments are firmly fixed with metal knitting needles, and fixation is carried out through the skin. In some cases, osteosynthesis using special plates is used. However, if the patient is in advanced age, then surgical treatment of such fractures is associated with certain risks. After removing the plaster cast, the patient is prescribed therapeutic massage and limb movements in warm water to restore her mobility.