When to worry about visible deformity after a distal radius injury

The distal radius is the end of the forearm bone next to the wrist. A break can produce swelling, bruising, shortening, or a changed wrist angle, sometimes making the hand appear to sit differently from the forearm. Most people with Distal Radius Fracture notice visible deformity after injury. Appearance cannot show whether the fracture has affected the joint or whether swelling is pressing on nerves and blood vessels, so an examination and imaging are needed.

Keep the wrist supported and still. Remove rings, a watch, or tight bracelets before swelling increases, if you can do so without moving the injury. Rest the arm raised, and use a wrapped cold pack briefly if the skin has normal sensation. Do not twist the wrist, test grip strength, or try to pull it straight. Keep the fingers gently relaxed unless a clinician has given different instructions, and arrange prompt assessment.

A new deformed wrist after injury needs timely medical review. Seek emergency help if the fingers become cold, pale, blue, numb, increasingly swollen, or impossible to move, or if pain escalates despite keeping the wrist still. An open wound, uncontrolled bleeding, or severe pain after a high-energy injury also warrants emergency attention. Do not assume that normal finger colour rules out a fracture; it only makes certain immediate circulation problems less apparent.

Does the fracture enter the wrist joint? Is the alignment acceptable? Are the median nerve and hand circulation normal? Will I need a splint, reduction, or operation? How should I move my fingers, and when should the splint be checked?