Treatment of Wrist Bone Fractures and Dislocations

Abstract

Distal radius fractures are the most frequently seen orthopedic trauma, and the ages at which they are seen show a bimodal distribution. Wrist dislocations occur due to high-energy trauma either at radiocarpal joint, midcarpal joint, distal radiocarpal joint, or it can be due to combination of them. Given its location in the center of the wrist, most of the carpal instability is around the lunate. Depending on the severity of the injuries, the instability can range from scapholunate instability to lunate dislocation. Wrist X-rays with anteroposterior, lateral views are required to identify a wrist dislocation. Although carpal instability injuries are often overlooked, the diagnosis should be made with these plain films. Despite adequate treatment with repair and reconstruction of ligament and bone relationships, patients may not return to their preinjury state. It is imperative to treat these injuries early and aggressively to maximize a satisfactory outcome. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.