Distal Radius Closed Reduction Recovery
Closed Reduction and Casting — Distal Radius Fracture
What was done
The broken end of the radius was pushed back into position — usually under local anaesthetic in the emergency department, sometimes under sedation — and then held there in a cast or splint while it heals. No incision was made and nothing was implanted. That is what closed reduction means: the bone was set rather than opened.
Why no operation
Because a fracture that can be put back into a good position and held there in a cast heals perfectly well, and avoiding surgery avoids its risks. Fixation with a plate is generally reserved for fractures that will not stay where they are put, those running into the joint surface, and those in people for whom an early return of hand function matters. If your fracture was set rather than fixed, it was judged likely to hold.
The position can slip, and that is why you come back
The most important thing about this treatment. A reduced fracture can gradually settle back toward its original position over the first two to three weeks, particularly in older or thinner bone. That is why repeat X-rays are taken at around one and two weeks even when the wrist feels fine — they are checking the position, not the healing. If it slips significantly, surgery may then be offered, and that is a change of plan rather than a failure.
Move your fingers from the first day
The instruction that matters most, and the one people in a cast most often neglect. The cast holds the wrist; nothing holds your fingers, and they stiffen quickly in a swollen hand. Making a full fist and fully straightening the fingers many times a day, with the hand held up, is the aftercare of this fracture.
Keep the hand above your heart
Especially in the first week. Swelling inside a cast is uncomfortable and is what stiffens fingers. Prop the hand on pillows when sitting, rest it on the opposite shoulder when standing, and support it on cushions at night.
When the cast feels too tight
Some tightness in the first day or two is normal as swelling peaks. Increasing pain that is not relieved, numbness or tingling in the fingers that is getting worse, or fingers that will not move should prompt a call to your care team rather than waiting — a cast can be split or changed easily, and it is much better done early.
How long the cast stays
Commonly around six weeks, sometimes changed partway through as swelling settles and the first cast becomes loose. Removal is decided by the X-ray rather than a fixed date.
The wrist will be stiff when the cast comes off
Expected, and it is normal for it to be alarming. Six weeks immobilised leaves a wrist that feels wooden and swollen and looks thin. Most of that movement returns over the following two to three months with steady work, and bending the wrist back and turning the palm up are usually the last to come.
Grip strength returns slowly
The part people find most frustrating. Grip is often around half the other side when the cast comes off and continues improving for a year or more. Opening jars, wringing out a cloth and carrying shopping in that hand are the practical milestones.
Numbness and tingling
Common, because the median nerve lies immediately in front of the broken bone and is bruised by the injury and the swelling. Tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers usually settles as the swelling goes down. Numbness that is worsening or waking you at night is worth reporting.
How it may look afterwards
A fracture treated in a cast sometimes heals with a slight prominence at the wrist or a small change in the shape compared with the other side. Where the position was acceptable, that appearance rarely affects function. Where it heals notably shortened or angled, it can affect rotation and grip, which is why the early X-rays matter so much.
When pain seems out of proportion
A small number of people develop a pain response after a wrist fracture that is more intense and persistent than the injury explains, sometimes with the hand swollen, stiff or altered in colour. It is uncommon, it is recognised, and it responds far better to early attention than late — largely through keeping the hand moving and used normally. Raising it early is the useful response.
Bone health
In an older person, a wrist fracture from a simple fall is a fragility fracture and a strong signal to have bone density assessed and treated. Doing so meaningfully reduces the chance of the next fracture, which is more likely to be a hip. It is worth raising if nobody has.
Driving and work
Driving generally waits until the cast is off and you can grip and turn the wheel confidently — commonly around seven to eight weeks. Desk-based work is often possible within one to two weeks with the cast on. Manual work involving gripping or lifting commonly waits three months.
Staying in touch with your care team
The fracture pattern and whether the position holds shape everything here, and your care team is following it on X-ray. If something about your recovery is worrying you or does not match what is described here — particularly a cast that feels too tight, or worsening numbness — contact them rather than waiting for the next appointment.
Exercises for Distal Radius Closed Reduction
An illustrated, phase-by-phase exercise program for this procedure. View the Distal Radius Closed Reduction exercise program.
Recovery education · Condition guides · Exercise programs
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This guide is general education and doesn't replace evaluation by a licensed provider. Recovery and treatment vary by person — follow the guidance of your own surgeon or care team.