Broken wrist: fixing it with a plate

Types

• Tilted towards the back of the hand (most common)
• Tilted towards the palm
• Through the joint surface, palm side
• Broken into the wrist joint

What is broken

The end of the forearm bone on the thumb side (the radius) has broken just above the wrist, usually from a fall on the outstretched hand. The broken end has tilted and moved, which changes how the wrist works.

Why an operation

In your fracture a plaster cast alone would probably not keep the pieces in place: they could slip and heal crooked, leaving a weak, painful or stiff wrist. A plate holds the bone in the right position, so you can use the hand earlier.

How the operation is done

Through a cut on the palm side of the wrist, the surgeon puts the pieces back in place and fixes them with a thin metal plate and small screws, checked with X-ray. It usually takes about an hour.

Anaesthesia and the hospital stay

Often only the arm is numbed (regional anaesthesia), sometimes you are asleep. Many people go home the same day or the next day.

Possible risks

• Irritation of a tendon by the plate, so it is taken out later — about 5 to 10 in 100
• Tingling in the fingers from pressure on the median nerve — about 2 to 5 in 100
• Long-lasting pain and swelling (complex regional pain syndrome) — about 2 to 5 in 100
• Wound infection — less than 1 in 100
• Some stiffness of the wrist — common in the first months, usually improves

After the operation

Keep the hand raised for the first days and move your fingers often. A light splint is worn for a short time. Physiotherapy starts early. Heavy lifting should wait until the bone has healed, after about six to eight weeks.

Questions people often ask