How Hard Do You Have To Hit Your Wrist To Fracture It?

Wrist fractures account for about a quarter of all limb fractures. This injury can occur to nearly anyone from something as simple as a slip and fall. Depending on your bone density, you may not need to hit your wrist very hard to fracture it. If you’ve suffered a wrist injury, it’s important to get a professional diagnosis. With prompt treatment and dedicated physical therapy, you can regain the strength and range of motion in this essential joint.

What Constitutes a Wrist Fracture?

A wrist fracture is a crack or a break in one of the 10 bones that make up the forearm and wrist. The distal radius, which is the long forearm bone closest to the wrist, is impacted most often. The distal radius usually fractures at the wrist end where it meets the hand and thumb. Depending on the nature of the injury, a wrist fracture can also impact the muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments around it. 

How Much Force Does It Take To Fracture a Wrist?

The force required to fracture your wrist depends on the nature of the injury, your age and health, and the specific bone density of the area impacted. 

The Role of Bone Density and Strength

Bone density is closely linked to fracture risk. Low bone density results in weaker bones that are far more likely to break. One study of distal radius fractures found that 60% of patients were osteoporotic and 30% were osteopenic. Thirteen percent of osteoporotic patients had another fracture, and about 4% of osteopenic patients had additional fractures with their broken wrist. If you suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis, you won’t have to hit your wrist very hard to fracture it.

Common Scenarios Leading to Wrist Fractures

Over half (56%) of wrist fractures occur when an individual falls from a standing height, and another 35% result from hard falls. You typically use an outstretched hand to catch yourself when you fall, and this can cause a crack or break in the bone when you make contact with a hard floor, sidewalk, or other unforgiving surface. Slipping on a slick or icy step can easily cause the kind of fall that will fracture your wrist. 

High-impact sports can result in the types of falls or direct impacts that can fracture a wrist, even if you’re young and healthy. If you have good bone density, you’ll have to hit your wrist harder to fracture it. However, impact with the ice at high speed when you’re skating or a head-on impact between a football or rugby player and the wrist can cause a fracture.

Symptoms of a Broken Wrist

You often know immediately when you fracture your wrist, as this can be a very painful injury. Symptoms of a wrist fracture include:

• Pain that may worsen when you grip and squeeze items or rotate your hand and wrist
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Bruising
• Deformity

Your doctor will confirm the wrist fracture using imaging technology such as an X-ray, computerized tomography scan, or magnetic resonance imaging. 

Causes and Risk Factors for Wrist Fractures

Elderly patients are at a high risk of a wrist fracture because they have lower bone density. If you have osteoporosis, your risk is especially high. In patients over the age of 60, wrist fractures are more common in women.

If you’re very active, you’re more likely to fracture your wrist. Contact sports, skiing, snowboarding, inline skating, and similar activities can easily lead to a wrist fracture if you fall or suffer a significant impact. In patients under the age of 60, wrist fractures are more common among men.

Individuals who currently smoke or drink frequently have a higher prevalence of wrist fractures. This is also true of those suffering from obesity, and patients with class III obesity are more likely to have postoperative complications from distal radius fracture surgery.

Treatment Options for Wrist Fractures

Many factors influence the treatment plan for a wrist fracture, including:

• The number of bones impacted
• The number of breaks in each bone
• Whether the fracture goes part of the way into the bone or all the way through the bone
• Whether the bones are displaced
• The presence of torn ligaments
• The age and health of the patient

If the bones are still properly aligned and the injury isn’t severe, your doctor may recommend a simple splint or cast. This immobilizes the joint while the bone heals.

If your bone is completely fractured and displaced, you may need surgery to fix the break. The surgeon will first do a reduction, which positions the bones back in place. They’ll typically use pins to hold the bones in place while they heal. If your wrist is severely damaged, they may use plates and screws to secure the bone as well. Patients usually wear a cast following wrist surgery to immobilize the joint as it heals.

Physical therapy is an important part of the treatment plan for any wrist fracture. Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly regarding your gradual return to movement. Your physical therapist will give you an exercise routine to follow throughout the healing process. It’s crucial that you complete all the prescribed exercises to regain strength and range of motion in your hand. It typically takes six to 12 weeks for a wrist fracture to heal, though it can remain uncomfortable for several months.

Contact The Hand and Wrist Institute Today

If you suspect that you’ve fractured your wrist, you should speak with a doctor as soon as possible. Our experts at The Hand and Wrist Institute in Dallas and Southlake focus exclusively on injuries of the forearm, hand, and wrist. We have ample expertise to provide a detailed diagnosis and custom treatment plan to restore your wrist functionality as soon as possible. Contact us to schedule your appointment now.

Dr. John Knight

Dr. Knight is a renowned hand, wrist and upper extremity surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Knight is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Fellowship trained. Dr Knight has appeared on CNN, The Doctors TV, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Oxygen network and more.