Complications of Colles' fractures.
Patients with Colles' fractures have serious complications more frequently than is generally appreciated. A study of 565 fractures revealed 177 (31 per cent) with such complications as persistent neuropathies of the median, ulnar, or radial nerves (forty-five cases), radiocarpal or radio-ulnar arthrosis (thirty-seven cases), and malposition-malunion (thirty cases). Other complications included tendon ruptures (seven), unrecognized associated injuries (twelve), Volkmann's ischemia (four cases), finger stiffness (nine cases), and shoulder-hand syndrome (twenty cases). In many patients, incomplete restoration of radial length or secondary loss of the reduction position caused the complications.
D001168:Arthritis / Q000209:etiology; D003100:Colles' Fracture / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000209:etiology; D012421:Rupture; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D014945:Wound Healing