Broken Wrist What is a wrist fracture?
A broken wrist is among the most common broken bones. In fact, wrist fractures are the most commonly broken bone in patients under 65 years of age (after that age, hip fractures become the most common broken bone). About 1 of every 6 fractures treated in emergency rooms is a wrist fracture. Usually, when a doctor is describing a wrist fracture, he or she is referring to a fracture of the radius (one of two forearm bones). There are other types of broken bones that occur near the wrist, but a typical wrist fracture generally means the end of the radius bone has been broken. Other bones that can break near the wrist joint include the scaphoid and the ulna. How is the diagnosis of a wr
