Colles' fracture | Healthcare Spanish
Written by Evelin Maza
Changes: Updated fracture terminology and medical vocabulary
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In this issue
- Colles’ fracture
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Colles’ fracture — fractura de colles
- Fractura distal del radio
- Avulsión del apófisis estiloide cubital
- El fragmento distal del radio sobrepasa el resto del hueso
- Deformidad de un dorso de tenedor
- Intento de frenar una caída con las manos y los brazos
- Distal radius fracture
- Avulsed ulnar styloid process
- Distal fragment of radius overrides the rest of the bone
- Dinner fork deformity
- Attempt to break a fall with their hands and arms
Colles’ fracture
A Colles’ fracture, is a fracture of the distal radius. It’s probably the most common, constituting at least 10% of all fractures. The term is often used to refer to any fracture of the distal radius that has dorsal displacement of the fracture fragments. It’s sometimes referred to as a “dinner fork” deformity due to the shape of the resultant forearm. It is most commonly caused by people falling onto a hard surface and breaking their fall with outstretched arms.
The classic Colles’ fracture has the following characteristics:
- Transverse fracture of the radius
- 2.5 cm (0.98 inches) proximal to the radio-carpal joint
- Dorsal displacement and angulation, together with radial tilt
- Associated fracture of the ulnar styloid process in more than 60% of case
The symptoms of a broken wrist usually consist of immediate acute pain, tenderness, bruising, swelling and a visible deformity.
Fractura de Colles
Una fractura de Colles es una fractura distal del radio. Probablemente sea una de las más frecuentes, constituyendo no menos de 10% de todas las fracturas. Este término se usa usualmente para referirse a cualquier fractura distal del radio que tiene un desplazamiento dorsal de los fragmentos fracturados. A veces se le refiere como “una deformidad de dorso de tenedor” por la forma resultante del antebrazo. Es causada más comúnmente por personas que caen hacia adelante sobre una superficie dura y detienen su caída con las manos extendidas.
La fractura clásica de Colles tiene las siguientes características:
- Fractura transversal del radio
- 2.5 cm (0.98 pulgadas) proximal la articulación radiocarpiana
- Desplazamiento dorsal y angulación dorsal, con una inclinación radial
- Asociada a una fractura del apófisis estiloide cubital en más de 60% de los casos
Los síntomas de una fractura de muñeca normalmente consisten en un dolor agudo inmediato, sensibilidad, contusiones, inflamación y una deformidad visible.
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