
Indications and accurate application techniques vary for each type of splint and cast commonly encountered in a primary care setting. If you think you may have a fracture, see your doctor or go to the emergency department. Selection of a specific cast or splint varies based on the area of the body being treated, and on the acuity and stability of the injury. When should I go to the emergency department Fractured bones require medical attention. All patients who are placed in a splint or cast require careful monitoring to ensure proper recovery. Other ways the distal radius can break include: Intra-articular fracture An intra-articular fracture is one that extends into the wrist joint. Fractures are usually caused by traumas like falls, car accidents or sports injuries. A Colles fracture occurs when the broken end of the radius tilts upward. It’s also known as a distal radius fracture, transverse wrist fracture, or a dinner-fork. What is a bone fracture A bone fracture is the medical definition for a broken bone. Prevention Overview A Colles’ wrist fracture occurs when the radius bone in your forearm breaks. This is because trabecular bone heals much more rapidly than cortical bone due to its greater surface area, cellularity, and vascularity. Outlook / Prognosis Living With Overview Bone fractures are classified by their pattern, cause and where they happen in your body. The radius is one of two forearm bones that is located on the thumb side (lateral aspect) of the forearm. First, the total healing time and reduction in healing time with SAFHS of Colles fractures were much smaller than that of tibial fractures. Excessive immobilization from continuous use of a cast or splint can lead to chronic pain, joint stiffness, muscle atrophy, or more severe complications (e.g., complex regional pain syndrome). Medically Reviewed on Disease and Condition: First Aid Factors for Recovery Types of Fractures Symptoms Treatment Management The healing process for radius fractures depends upon certain factors such as the following. To maximize benefits while minimizing complications, the use of casts and splints is generally limited to the short term. Because of this, casts provide superior immobilization but are less forgiving, have higher complication rates, and are generally reserved for complex and/or definitive fracture management.

This quality makes splints ideal for the management of a variety of acute musculoskeletal conditions in which swelling is anticipated, such as acute fractures or sprains, or for initial stabilization of reduced, displaced, or unstable fractures before orthopedic intervention. Splints are noncircumferential immobilizers that accommodate swelling. Management of a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions requires the use of a cast or splint.
