12 Terms Unlock Everything Distal Radial Fracture Philadelphia Patients Need to Know

Over 250,000 patients in the United States are treated for fractured radius bones annually. Most of these fractures are caused by osteoporosis. This orthopedic injury is one of the most common among individuals with compromised bone health. It is especially common in women, and the statistics tell us that those who have incurred a wrist fracture in the past are two to four times more likely to suffer from another fracture of some kind in the future.

For these reasons, education and preventative care are imperative for those who are most prone to incurring the kind of distal radial fracture Philadelphia physicians frequently treat. For the most part, wrist fractures can be effectively prevented by an individual’s ability to maintain healthy bone density. 

If you are concerned about your susceptibility to a distal radial fracture, talk to your physician about exercises and supplements to help deter the onset of osteoporosis. If you have already suffered a fracture of this kind and are now researching the injury and seeking out the best possible care, this article will be a helpful resource for you. 

First, review our list of defined terms below to gain a better understanding of distal radial fractures. Secondly, use the contact information at the end of the article to call and make an appointment with a member of the region’s best wrist surgeon team.

12 Defined Terms:

The Information Distal Radial Fracture Philadelphia Patients are Looking For

1. Radius: The larger of the two forearm bones, which connects at the wrist on the side of the thumb. 
2. Distal Radius: The distal portion of the radius is the part closest to the wrist joint.
3. Distal Radial Fracture: When the radius is broken on the end closest to the wrist, the injury is referred to as a distal radial fracture. This often occurs when a patient falls onto an outstretched hand.
4. Casting: A simple plaster cast can be applied for a period of time until the bones are healed. This process may or may not require an initial closed reduction of the bones to straighten them prior to casting.
5. Reduction: This is the process of manipulating the bones to bring them back into proper alignment. For those who experience the kind of mild distal radial fracture Philadelphia patients often report, a combination of reduction and casting may be the only treatment necessary.
6. Closed Reduction: When realigning the bones does not require the physician to make an incision.
7. Open Reduction: When the bones are so misaligned that a closed reduction will not produce the desired result, an incision may be made to aid the physician in repositioning the bones back to their correct alignment.
8. Open Fracture: This describes the condition of the bone having broken the skin and requires immediate surgery.
9. Colles Fracture: This occurs when the broken fragment of the radius tilts upward. This particular version of a distal radial fracture is named after the Irish surgeon who first described it in 1814. 
10. Smith’s Fracture: When the hand is caught under the wrist, the break often occurs in the opposite manner from a Colles fracture. X-rays of a Smith’s fracture would show the radius tilted downward.
11. Comminuted Fracture: This occurs when the bone is broken into more than two pieces.
12. Displaced Fracture: When the broken pieces of bone do not line up straight, the fracture is referred to as being displaced and requires either an open or closed reduction.

Advice for Distal Radial Fracture Philadelphia Patients 

Because the severity and types of these fractures can range significantly, it is important for you to seek qualified orthopaedic care from respected physicians in the wrist subspecialty. For patients in the Philadelphia region and throughout the Delaware Valley, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is the provider of choice for distal radial fractures.

With over 20 regional locations, wrist subspecialists from our outstanding orthopaedic team are within easy driving distance from you! Call 1-800-321-999 to schedule an appointment with one of our wrist specialists, who will be able to identify the type, location and severity of the fracture and recommend the best treatment approach for your specific case.