Colles' fracture

The fracture is most commonly caused by people falling onto a hard surface and breaking their fall with outstretched hand (FOOSH)–falling with wrists flexed would lead to a Smith's fracture. Originally it was described in elderly and/or post-menopausal women. It usually occurs about three to five centimetres proximal to the radio-carpal joint with posterior and lateral displacement of the distal fragment resulting in the characteristic "dinner fork" or "bayonet" like deformity. Colles fracture is a common fracture in people with osteoporosis, second only to vertebral fractures.

Colles fracture of the left hand, with posterior displacement clearly visible.

Diagnosis can be made upon interpretation of anteroposterior and lateral views alone.[6]

The classic Colles fracture has the following characteristics:[7]

• Transverse fracture of the radius
• 2.5 cm (0.98 inches) proximal to the radio-carpal joint
• dorsal displacement and dorsal angulation, together with radial tilt[8]

Other characteristics:[9][6]

• Radial shortening
• Loss of ulnar inclination≤
• Radial angulation of the wrist
• Comminution at the fracture site
• Associated fracture of the ulnar styloid process in more than 60% of cases.

Management depends on the severity of the fracture. An undisplaced fracture may be treated with a cast alone. The cast is applied with the distal fragment in palmar flexion and ulnar deviation. A fracture with mild angulation and displacement may require closed reduction. There is some evidence that immobilization with the wrist in dorsiflexion as opposed to palmarflexion results in less redisplacement and better functional status.[11] Significant angulation and deformity may require an open reduction and internal fixation or external fixation. The volar forearm splint is best for temporary immobilization of forearm, wrist and hand fractures, including Colles fracture. There are several established instability criteria: dorsal tilt >20°, comminuted fracture, abruption of the ulnar styloid process, intraarticular displacement >1mm, loss of radial height >2mm.

A higher amount of instability criteria increases the likelihood of operative treatment.

Treatment modalities differ in the elderly.[12]

Repeat Xrays are recommended at one, two, and six weeks to verify proper healing.[4]

Recovery time depends on the degree of bone displacement, the number of bone fragments, whether or not the break is "intra-articular" (involves the wrist joint), as well as the person's age, gender, and medical history, and may range from two months to a year or more for complete recovery.[2]

Colles fractures occur in all age groups, although certain patterns follow an age distribution.

• In the elderly, because of the weaker cortex, the fracture is more often extra-articular.
• Younger individuals tend to require a higher energy force to cause the fracture and tend to have more complex intra-articular fractures. In children with open epiphyses, an equivalent fracture is the "epiphyseal slip", as can be seen in other joints, such as a slipped capital femoral epiphysis in the hip. This is a Salter I or II fracture with the deforming forces directed through the weaker epiphyseal plate.
• More common in women because of post-menopausal osteoporosis.

The Colles fracture is named after Abraham Colles (1773–1843), an Irish surgeon, from Kilkenny who first described it in 1814 by simply looking at the classical deformity before the advent of X-rays.[13] Ernest Amory Codman was the first to study it using X-rays. His article, published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, now known as The New England Journal of Medicine, also developed the classification system.[14][15]

• Smith's fracture

• 00913 at CHORUS

• Colles Fracture Wheeless' Textbook