Is ulnar styloid fracture serious?

Ulna styloid fracture is relatively common in life, and this type of fracture is also relatively serious. It will cause obvious restriction of the wrist joint. If it is not treated well or the recovery is not good, it is easy to cause some complications. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out good treatment in time. According to the patient's specific condition, surgical treatment or conservative treatment should be adopted. Let us briefly understand this aspect.

Is a ulnar styloid fracture serious?

There is a triangular fiber complex, which can maintain the stability of the distal radioulnar joint, but foreign scholars are still debating whether the disease should be treated surgically. Most domestic orthopedic physicians recommend conservative treatment, and plaster fixation will recover on its own. It is recommended not to worry, follow the doctor's instructions for regular check-ups, and remove the plaster support to perform functional exercises according to the healing situation. The main symptoms of this disease are local swelling, pain, obvious tenderness and palpable bone friction sound. Subcutaneous hematoma and, in severe cases, blood accumulation in the wrist joint, limiting wrist joint movement.

This disease mainly causes wrist deformity and limited wrist joint movement, and functional impairment is the main complication. At the same time, attention should be paid to the overall treatment of the wrist joint. There have been reports of triangular fibrous cartilage rupture and styloid fracture in the lateral column of the wrist caused by wrist dorsiflexion injury, and poor reduction can lead to chronic wrist pain and limited wrist movement function.

treat

The treatment of this disease is mainly divided into two situations:

1. In case of displaced radial styloid fracture, traction on the ulnar wrist joint and pushing the displaced fracture fragment toward the ulnar side can achieve satisfactory reduction. Short arm plaster can be used for fixation for 3 to 4 weeks. If it is unstable or displaced again after reduction, it can be fixed with Kirschner wires or screws.

2. For ulnar styloid fracture, a plaster splint can be used to fix the forearm in the neutral position and the wrist in the ulnar deviation position for 4 weeks. Because the ulnar styloid process is difficult to heal, resection can be performed if the pain worsens.

This disease is very common. It is usually caused by falling on the palm of the hand. The impact force acts on the lower end of the radius through the scaphoid bone and causes a transverse fracture of the radial styloid process. There are also cases of injuries caused by direct impacts, such as from tool handles. In addition, the wrist joint deviates strongly and the radial collateral ligament is pulled strongly, causing avulsion fracture of the radial styloid process. The fracture fragment is small and displaced distally. Ulnar styloid fractures are often related to ligament traction, often associated with Colles fractures, but may also be single fractures.