In radius fracture – colloquially called spoke fracture – (thesaurus synonyms: Arm fracture; Barton fracture; Chauffeur fracture; Colles fracture; distal radius fracture; distal radius comminuted fracture; fracture of the superior radial epiphysis; fracture of the inferior radial epiphysis; fracture of the collum radii; Galeazzi fracture; intraarticular fracture of the radius; open distal radius fracture; open proximal radius fracture; open radius shaft fracture; proximal radius fracture; radius fracture; radius fracture loco typico; radius fracture with ulna fracture; radius greenstick fracture; radius neck fracture; radial head fracture; radius shaft fracture; reversed Barton fracture; Smith fracture; radial fracture; typical radial fracture; typical radial fracture; reversed Barton fracture; ICD-10 S52. 5-: Distal fracture of radius; S52.3-: Fracture of shaft of radius; S52.1-: Fracture of proximal end of radius) is a fracture (broken bone) of the radius (radius).
Like ulna fracture (fracture of the radius), radius fracture belongs to forearm fracture (fracture of the forearm).
It is one of the common fractures along with the humeral head fracture (humeral head fracture) as well as the femoral neck fracture (SHF; synonym: femoral neck fracture/fracture). It is the most common fracture of the upper extremity and is often associated with underlying osteoporosis (bone loss) in older patients.
According to the ICD-10, the following forms of fracture are distinguished:
- Fracture of the proximal (near-body) end of the radius (radial head fracture; S52.1)
- Fracture of the shaft of the radius (S52.3)
- Fracture of the distal (distal to the body, near the wrist) end of the radius (S52.5)
Fracture of the radius is usually due to a fall.
Sex ratio: males to females is 1: 1.4 (< 40 years); 1: 6.2 (> 40 years).
Frequency peak: one can distinguish high-energy trauma in young individuals (< 40 years) from older individuals with low-energy trauma.
The prevalence (disease incidence) of distal radius fracture is approximately 0.4% in women and approximately 0.1% in men. In persons > 50 years of age, the incidence rises to up to 15 % in women and up to two percent in men (in Europe and the USA).
Course and prognosis: The course of healing depends largely on the extent of the fracture. In children, the prognosis of radial fractures is usually good. Radius fractures in children usually show very good spontaneous healing. Therefore, the treatment of a radius fracture in children is also conservative (i.e., non-surgical). Four to six weeks after the fracture, simple grasping activities can usually be performed with the hand. A healing period of six months or longer must be expected for complicated radius fractures. Possible complications of a treated radius fracture (radial fracture) can be found under the sub-topic “Consequential diseases”.
