The Wrist contains two forearm bones:

the radius and the ulna. The most common fracture to the wrist occurs to the distal radius, the end of the larger of the two arm bones at the thumb-side of the wrist. Distal radius fractures usually happen about one inch from the end of the radius. It is prone to injury when you fall on an outstretched hand or if there you have low bone density or osteoporosis. The injury causes pain, swelling, and bruising and can create a deformed appearance to the wrist.

The length of time for recovery varies greatly between patients. It is important to have your recovery guided by your physician and a certified hand therapist. It is essential to keep the wrist elevated and to keep the fingers moving by making a tight fist as often as possible. There is no reason to use a squeeze ball. An empty fist is the best. It is very common to have stiffness and swelling in the fingers and hand for quite some time after a Wrist Fracture.