Fracture of the radius. Diagnosis and treatment

Fracture of the radius is not so rare. I must say that most often it is observed in the elderly. In general, such a trauma is characteristic of a fall on an outstretched hand. Especially if a person starts to rely on the palm of your hand. In such cases, a fracture with a shift in the direction of the thumb or the back of the hand is usually formed. Often, this type of injury is also found in women who are in a premenopausal state, because In such cases, the density of bone tissue begins to decrease, and they become brittle. Also, such troubles occur in the winter, especially during the ice.

Less often, one can come across a broken radial bone, in which the fragment begins to shift toward the palm. This type of injury is called "Smith's fracture." Fracture of the radius of the wrist usually occurs at a distance of 2-3 cm from the wrist and in most cases occurs with detachment of the process of the elbow bone. And this significantly worsens the process of splicing.

The treatment of such trauma is usually reduced to restoring the integrity and anatomy of the bone. As a rule, it can be surgical, operative. The treatment option is selected depending on the injury received, as well as the degree of displacement of fragments, the presence or absence of fragments and damage of a concomitant nature.

The primary signs for a fracture are severe pain at the site of injury, edema of the limb, and also some deformity of the hand, which can be seen with a simple examination. Although a correct and accurate diagnosis can be made only after radiography. If there is a punctured fracture of the radius, ie. Fracture without displacement, then a damaged limb is impregnated with gypsum lingeta. Its superposition usually starts from the base of the fingers of the injured arm and ends with 2/3 of the upper forearm. As a rule, in young people, the bones coalesce very quickly, therefore in about a week such patients can be prescribed therapeutic massage and physiotherapy. In elderly and elderly people, healing is much slower, due to the age-related deterioration in the composition of bone tissue.

However, this is only true if the fracture of the radius has occurred without the displacement of the fragments. If there are all the signs of displacement, then first the fragments are combined, and only then the plaster is applied to the damaged limb. The period of wearing a plaster bandage in this case is not less than a month.

Meanwhile, in the treatment of fractures, medical errors often occur , which may be related to insufficient diagnosis of trauma, improper choice of the treatment method, and patient's indiscipline during treatment.

All these cases can sometimes lead to serious complications, the results of which are disability and even partial disability. In principle, the 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 disorders and dilations of blood vessels. Later complications are associated with deformation of bones at the site of the fracture.

If the fracture of the radius is unstable and can at any time lead to a secondary displacement of the fragments, then in this case, surgical treatment is performed. In this case, fragments are securely fixed with metal spokes, and fixation is carried out through the skin. In some cases, osteosynthesis using special plates is used. However, if the patient is in old age, the surgical treatment of such fractures is associated with certain risks. After removing the plaster bandage, the patient is prescribed a massage and limb movement in warm water to restore her mobility.