Question

Your patient is a 12-year-old female who fell onto her outstretched hands while rollerblading. She has a deformity of her forearm, about 2 inches proximal to her wrist. This injury is a result of which of the following mechanisms?

a) Direct force
b) Indirect force
c) Sudden acceleration
d) Twisting motion

Answer 1

A Colles fracture of the distal radius can occur from a direct force, such as a fall onto an outstretched hand. This results in a characteristic 'dinner fork' bend of the forearm just above the wrist.

Step-by-step explanation:

The injury described in the question is a Colles fracture of the distal radius. This fracture occurs when there is a direct blow or force applied to the forearm, typically from a fall onto an outstretched hand. In this case, the patient fell onto her outstretched hands while rollerblading, resulting in the deformity of her forearm.

A Colles fracture is characterized by a complete transverse fracture across the distal radius, causing the separated distal fragment of the radius to be displaced posteriorly and superiorly. This displacement leads to the characteristic 'dinner fork' bend of the forearm just above the wrist.

Therefore, the correct answer is a) Direct force, as the injury is a result of a direct force applied to the forearm.