Emergency: requires immediate attention
Radius and ulna fracture
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis
Causes / typical injury mechanism:- Motor vehicle accident
- Fall from height with axial loading through the hand into the forearm
- High-energy direct trauma
Prevalence:
- Age – More common in younger patients.
- Sex / gender – More common in men than in women.
Descriptive classification:
- Closed versus open
- Location – Distal, mid-shaft, proximal
- Comminuted, segmental, multifragmented
- Displacement
- Angulation
- Rotational alignment
- Type A – Simple fracture of ulna (A1), radius (A2), or both bones (A3)
- Type B – Wedge fracture of ulna (B1), radius (B2), or both bones (B3)
- Type C – Complex fractures
- Type 1 – Wound length < 1 cm; minimal soft tissue damage, contamination, or comminution; periosteum intact; adequate soft tissue coverage; intact vasculature.
- Type 2 – Wound length < 1 cm; moderate soft tissue damage, contamination, or comminution; periosteum intact; adequate soft tissue coverage; intact vasculature.
- Type 3a – Wound length > 1 cm; extensive soft tissue damage, contamination, or comminution; periosteal stripping; adequate soft tissue coverage; intact vasculature.
- Type 3b – Wound length > 1 cm; extensive soft tissue damage, contamination, or comminution; periosteal stripping; inadequate soft tissue coverage; intact vasculature.
- Type 3c – Wound length > 1 cm; extensive soft tissue damage, contamination, or comminution; periosteal stripping; inadequate soft tissue coverage; arterial damage.
Codes
ICD10CM:S52.90XA – Unspecified fracture of unspecified forearm, initial encounter for closed fracture
S52.90XB – Unspecified fracture of unspecified forearm, initial encounter for open fracture type I or II
S52.90XC – Unspecified fracture of unspecified forearm, initial encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC
SNOMEDCT:
75857000 – Fracture of radius and ulna
Look For
Subscription Required
Diagnostic Pearls
Subscription Required
Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Galeazzi fracture
- Monteggia fracture
- Essex-Lopresti injury
- Distal radius fracture
- Radial head fracture
- Elbow dislocation
- Supracondylar fracture of the humerus
Best Tests
Subscription Required
Management Pearls
Subscription Required
Therapy
Subscription Required
References
Subscription Required
Last Reviewed:10/05/2021
Last Updated:10/10/2021
Last Updated:10/10/2021
Emergency: requires immediate attention
Radius and ulna fracture