Wrist
Also called: carpal bones, wrist joint
What it means
The wrist is the joint where the hand meets the forearm, made up of small carpal bones plus the ends of the radius and ulna. It's one of the most common places people fracture a bone when they fall.
Wrist fractures are often one of the first signs that bone density has weakened, making this joint an important one to protect.
The wrist is actually a cluster of small bones (the carpal bones) that connect your forearm bones — the radius and ulna — to your hand. It's a common site for fractures, especially the kind that happen when you fall and put your hand out to catch yourself (sometimes called a FOOSH injury, for 'fall onto outstretched hand').
The distal radius, the end of the forearm bone nearest the wrist, is the part most often broken in these falls, and this type of break is sometimes called a Colles' fracture. Wrist fractures are one of the three classic fragility fracture sites, along with the hip and spine, and can be an early sign of lower bone density.
Keeping the wrist strong involves two things: bone-loading exercise that includes the upper body (like push-ups, rows, or grip work) and reducing fall risk through balance training. Because a broken wrist usually comes from a fall, anything that improves your footing, reflexes, and strength can help protect this joint over time.
Wrist fractures from a fall are often an early sign that bone density has weakened.
Where this leads
WordWondering what a typical wrist fracture looks like? See how a fall onto an outstretched hand can break the forearm bone near the wrist.
Where the Academy teaches it
This page is the short version. The lessons teach it in full, with the context around it and a quiz to lock it in.
Related words
The distal radius is the end of the forearm bone near the wrist, and it's one of the most common spots for a…
The radius is the forearm bone on the thumb side, running from the elbow to the wrist, and its lower end is a common…
The ulna is the long bone on the pinky side of your forearm, stretching from your elbow to your wrist.
A Colles' fracture is a break in the distal radius, the forearm bone near the wrist, usually from falling onto an…
Fall risk is how likely you are to fall, and it matters because falling—not just weak bones—is the most common cause…
A fragility fracture is a broken bone caused by a fall or bump that normally wouldn't break a healthy bone, often at…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
