Forearm Fracture
What is a forearm fracture?
A fracture is a break in a bone. There are two bones in
your forearm:
- the radius (on the thumb side of your arm)
- the ulna (on the little-finger side of your arm).
How does it occur?
A forearm fracture usually occurs from:
- a fall onto an outstretched arm or hand
- a direct blow to the arm.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms are pain, swelling, and tenderness at the site
of injury. You may not be able to move your arm normally.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will examine your forearm and look
for tenderness. An x-ray of your arm will show the
fracture.
How is it treated?
- If the broken bone is crooked, your health care provider
will straighten it. You will be given some medicine
first so the straightening is not too painful. Some
fractures that cannot be straightened, or that are broken
into many pieces, may need to have surgery.
- You may be given a splint for your arm for a few days
until the swelling begins to go down. Then your arm will
be put in a cast for 4 to 8 weeks.
- Your health care provider may prescribe anti-inflammatory
medications or other pain medications.
- You should elevate your arm on a pillow or the back of a
chair as often as possible for the first 2 to 3 days.
This will help control pain and swelling.
- You may place ice packs over the cast for 20 to 30 minutes
every 3 to 4 hours for the first 2 to 3 days. Take care
not to get your cast wet if it is a plaster cast.
When should I call my health care provider?
Call your health care provider if:
- Your pain is getting worse instead of better.
- You feel that your cast is too tight and you have
swelling that doesn't get better when you elevate your
injury.
How can I prevent a forearm fracture?
Most forearm fractures are caused by accidents that you
cannot easily prevent.
Written by Pierre Rouzier, M.D.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2003 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.