| Barton's fracture | |
|---|---|
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| A palmar Barton's fracture of the right wrist, as shown on a 3D-rendered CT scan | |
| Specialty | Orthopedic |
A Barton's fracture is a type of wrist injury where there is a broken bone associated with a dislocated bone in the wrist, typically occurring after falling on top of a bent wrist. It is an intra-articular fracture of the distal radius with dislocation of the radiocarpal joint.
There exist two types of Barton's fracture – dorsal 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.
Eponym
It is named after John Rhea Barton (1794–1871), an American surgeon who first described this in 1838.
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