When Is Closed Reduction Recommended for a Distal Radius Fracture?

A distal radius fracture affects the larger forearm bone near the wrist. During closed reduction, the clinician gently manipulates the bone fragments back toward alignment, usually with pain control or sedation, then supports the wrist. X-rays help assess the position before and after the manoeuvre. The choice depends on displacement, joint involvement, swelling, skin condition, stability, and the person’s overall health. Some fractures later shift and need a further review or a different treatment.

Keep the wrist supported and elevated while awaiting assessment, and remove rings before swelling increases if this can be done safely. Do not try to straighten the wrist yourself. Follow instructions about cast care, finger movement, and follow-up imaging. Tell the team about numbness, blood-thinning medicine, diabetes, or an injury to the skin, because these details affect planning.

Go for urgent assessment if fingers become pale, blue, cold, increasingly swollen, or difficult to move, or if numbness and severe pain increase beneath a splint. An open wound, obvious deformity after a fall, or pain that cannot be controlled also needs prompt care. These signs can indicate pressure on nerves, blood vessels, or skin.

Ask whether the fracture enters the wrist joint, how stable its alignment appears, what pain-control options are available, and when repeat X-rays are needed. Ask what changes in finger colour, feeling, movement, or swelling should prompt an immediate return.