Colles' Fracture
A definition of Colles' Fracture (broken wrist)
A Colles’ fracture, or a distal radius fracture of the wrist, often occurs when attempting to “catch yourself” during a fall and landing on the palm of the hand. Common symptoms include: wrist pain, swelling, and deformity of the wrist. To correct the damage to a bone, the wrist may need to be immobilized in a cast for a period of time, which eventually causes stiffness and a lack of range of motion. Rehabilitating the wrist takes time and often the patient can be left with limited movement as the bone and soft tissue repair. To restore full range of motion after a patient is cleared for passive range of motion therapy, the use of a dynamic splint 6-8 hours a day or night will speed recovery and provide a plastic, permanent stretch. If you have had a Colles’ fracture, you may want to consider wearing a wrist rehabilitation device like a Dynasplint® System to aid in the recovery process.
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