Fracture of both of the forearm bones Discussion
Fractures of both of the forearm bones in a adult may result in a variety
of problems. In general, complications are more common and prognosis is
worse for displaced fractures and for open fractures. On the average,
nondisplaced fractures take six to eight weeks to heal, and displaced
fractures take three to five months. Satisfactory functional end results
may be expected in about eight out of ten patients with nondisplaced
fractures and about one half of those with displaced fractures. Function
may be most obviously affected with loss of pronation-supination or forearm
palm-down palm-up rotation. As many as one half of patients will have
obvious loss of forearm pronation, which may or may not be functionally
significant. Loss of forearm rotation is most likely when fractures occur
in the middle third of the forearm. Synostosis or bony cross-bridging may
lock the forearm in a fixed position of rotation. Nonunion or failure of
bone healing occurs in as many as one out of ten patients. Early protected
motion appears to improve the odds of satisfactory final motion. Internal
or external fixation is usually indicated for open or very unstable
fractures, accepting the risk that postsurgical infection may occur in as
many as one out of twenty patients.
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