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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A broken wrist or broken hand is a break or crack in one of the many bones within your wrist and hand. The most common of these injuries occurs in the wrist — when people try to catch themselves during a fall and end up landing hard on an outstretched hand.
Risk factors for a broken wrist or broken hand range from participation in certain sports — such as American football, soccer, skiing and snowboarding — to having osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become thinner and more fragile.
It's important to treat a broken wrist or broken hand as soon as possible. Otherwise, the bones may not heal in proper alignment, which can affect your ability to perform everyday activities, such as grasping a pen or buttoning a shirt. Early treatment will also help minimize pain and stiffness.
- Petron DJ, et al. Distal radius fractures in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Fracture of the finger. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00257. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Anderson BC. Evaluation of the adult patient with wrist pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Woolfrey KG, et al. Orthopedic lesions: Wrist and forearm. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and clinical practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/132876839-5/832233957/1365/124.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50053-6--cesec18_1919. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Lyn E, et al. Orthopedic lesions: Hand. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and clinical practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/132876839-5/0/1365/121.html?tocnode=51891270&fromURL=121.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50052-4_1733. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- Hand fractures. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00010. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- Bone X-ray (radiography). Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- CT: Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- MRI of the musculoskeletal system. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=muscmr. Accessed May 12, 2009.
- General nuclear medicine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gennuclear. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- Wrist fractures. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/WristFractures.aspx. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- Lewiecki EM. Prevention of osteoporosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 23, 2009.
- Ski and snowboard injuries. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/SkiandSnowboardInjuries.aspx. Accessed April 23, 2009.
