Which fracture is a distal radius fracture with dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint at the wrist?

Which fracture is a distal radius fracture with dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint at the wrist?

• A. Colles fracture
• B. Galeazzi fracture
• C. Barton fracture
• D. Smith fracture

Answer: (B)

A Galeazzi fracture describes a distal radius fracture with dislocation or subluxation of the distal radioulnar joint. The defining feature is that the radius breaks at the distal third, and the stability of the distal radioulnar joint is lost, usually from injury to the interosseous membrane and TFCC, allowing the DRUJ to dislocate. This pattern often follows a fall on an outstretched hand with the forearm in a position that drives the radius fracture while the DRUJ becomes unstable. Clinically you’ll have wrist pain and DRUJ tenderness with instability on examination, and radiographs will show the distal radius fracture plus DRUJ dislocation. Management typically requires fixation to restore alignment and DRUJ stability, because closed treatment alone often fails due to the inherent instability. By contrast, Colles fractures are distal radius fractures with dorsal angulation but without DRUJ dislocation; Smith fractures are distal radius fractures with palmar tilt; Barton fractures are intra-articular distal radius fractures with radiocarpal joint dislocation, not DRUJ.

A Galeazzi fracture describes a distal radius fracture with dislocation or subluxation of the distal radioulnar joint. The defining feature is that the radius breaks at the distal third, and the stability of the distal radioulnar joint is lost, usually from injury to the interosseous membrane and TFCC, allowing the DRUJ to dislocate. This pattern often follows a fall on an outstretched hand with the forearm in a position that drives the radius fracture while the DRUJ becomes unstable. Clinically you’ll have wrist pain and DRUJ tenderness with instability on examination, and radiographs will show the distal radius fracture plus DRUJ dislocation. Management typically requires fixation to restore alignment and DRUJ stability, because closed treatment alone often fails due to the inherent instability. By contrast, Colles fractures are distal radius fractures with dorsal angulation but without DRUJ dislocation; Smith fractures are distal radius fractures with palmar tilt; Barton fractures are intra-articular distal radius fractures with radiocarpal joint dislocation, not DRUJ.