Question
What is the most common injury sustained due to fall on outstretched hand by a person aged 65 years?
The correct answer is
Colles' fracture
Fall Injury in 65-Year-Olds: Identifying Colles' Fracture
A fall onto an outstretched hand (FOOSH) is a frequent cause of upper extremity injuries, particularly in older adults.
Understanding Wrist Fractures in the Elderly
- Individuals around 65 years old often have reduced bone density (osteoporosis), making their bones more susceptible to fractures.
- A fall on an outstretched hand commonly results in a bending force at the wrist.
- Colles' fracture is the most common injury pattern in this scenario. It involves a fracture of the distal radius (the larger bone in the forearm closer to the wrist) with characteristic dorsal (backwards) displacement and often dorsal angulation of the distal fragment.
Evaluating Other Options
- Supracondylar fracture: Typically occurs in children and younger individuals due to hyperextension of the elbow.
- Shoulder dislocation: Involves the displacement of the humeral head from the glenoid fossa; while falls can cause this, it's not the most common wrist/forearm injury from a FOOSH.
- Fracture of metacarpals: These are the bones within the palm. While possible from a fall, they are less common than Colles' fracture from a direct FOOSH impact on the wrist in this age group.
Therefore, Colles' fracture is the most prevalent injury resulting from a fall on an outstretched hand in a 65-year-old individual.
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Important Questions from Bones & Joints
- A 40-year-old lady complains of progressive deformities of her hands and fingers associated with stiffness which is present in both the hands and improves as the day progresses. On examination, there is symmetrical involvement of hands and fingers of both the upper limbs with flexion and ulnar deviation at the metacarpophalangeal joints. What is the most likely diagnosis in this lady?
- A 52-year-old female complains of increasing pain in the right shoulder. She is also finding it increasingly difficult to do overhead abduction of the affected joint. She had been diagnosed as a diabetic 20 years back and is on treatment since then. What is the most likely cause of her clinical condition?
Consider the following :
1. Pain relief
2. Prevention of infection
3. Anaesthesia
4. Restoration of anatomy
Which of the features given above are benefits of fracture treatment?
- Hangman's fracture is
- Which of the following is NOT true about Dupuytren's Contracture?
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