Barton fracture | |
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A palmar Barton's fracture of the right wrist, as shown on a 3D-rendered CT scan | |
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Specialty | Orthopedic |
A Barton fracture is a type of wrist injury where there is a break of the front or back of the radius nearest the hand, resulting in the wrist being pushed out of place.[1] It typically occurs after falling on on top of a bent wrist.[2]
There exist two types of Barton's fracture – dorsal[3] and palmar, the latter being more common. The Barton's fracture is caused by a fall on an extended and pronated wrist increasing carpal compression force on the dorsal rim. Intra-articular component distinguishes this fracture from a Smith's or a Colles' fracture.
Treatment of this fracture is usually done by open reduction and internal fixation with a plate and screws, but occasionally the fracture can be treated conservatively.[citation needed]
It is named after John Rhea Barton (1794–1871), an American surgeon who first described this in 1838.[4][5]
Lateral projectional radiograph of the same fracture
Barton's and reverse Barton's
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