On the Fracture of the Carpal Extremity of the Radius

Author summary

A Colles' fracture is a fracture through the distal metaphysis of the radius, with or without involvement of the ulna, combined with dorsal displacement of the fracture fragments. It is an extremely common fracture and is most usually caused by a fall on outstretched hands, although it can also be the result of high-force trauma, such as a car accident or a fall from a significant height. At the time of this article’s publication, in an era without x-ray imaging, the absence of crepitus, and other common symptoms of fracture made diagnosing this injury quite difficult, often leading to an ineffective treatment. Dr Colles pondered why he attained unfavorable results from treating his initial cases and evaluated various mechanisms and manipulations to arrive at suggestions for ascertainment and treatment. This article provided the first description of this type of injury, which was later named after the author (Colles' fracture) and its treatment.