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Colles' fracture

Authoring team

This is a very common injury which affects the distal end of the radius. It was first described by Abraham Colles in 1814 who reported a transverse fracture of the radius, within 1 inch of the wrist, and with dorsal displacement and dorsal angulation of the distal fragment.

The term Colles' fracture is often used eponymously for distal fractures with dorsal angulation. These distal radius fractures are often caused by falling on an outstretched hand with the wrist in dorsiflexion, causing tension on the volar aspect of the wrist, causing the fracture to extend dorsally. The fracture is most common in elderly postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

Reference

  1. Sharp JW, Edwards RM. Core curriculum illustration: "Colles," dorsally angulated fracture of the distal radius. Emerg Radiol. 2019 Dec;26(6):699-700.

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