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General health information

Broken wrist

A broken wrist usually involves the end of the radius, the forearm bone on the thumb side, sometimes together with other bones or ligaments. Pain, swelling, bruising and difficulty moving often follow a fall onto an outstretched hand. A wrist can be broken without an obvious change in shape. Remove rings, support the arm, do not straighten the wrist yourself and have the injury assessed the same day.

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  • A broken wrist often follows a fall onto an outstretched hand. The lower end of the radius usually breaks, but the ulna, scaphoid and other carpal bones may also be involved.
  • Pain, swelling, bruising and limited movement can occur with both a fracture and a severe sprain. A wrist can still be broken even if it does not look bent.
  • Remove jewellery, support the wrist in the position you find it and apply a cold pack through a cloth. Do not pull or twist the hand and never try to set the fracture yourself.
  • Treatment may involve a splint or cast, professional realignment of bone fragments or an operation. The choice depends on the bone, alignment, joint, age, work and health.
  • Outside office hours, call the out-of-hours GP service (HAP) on 9252 for urgent GP care. Call Ambulance 912 only for immediate danger to life, such as shock or severe multiple injuries.

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