What are the complications of a Colles fracture?

What are the complications of a Colles fracture?

Wrist stiffness is the most common complication. It should get better after your cast has been off for one to two months. Other complications include:

• Compartment syndrome is a painful condition where there’s too much pressure in and around your muscles.
• Malunion is where the bones fail to fuse (come together).
• Median nerve palsy is where the muscles in your hand get paralyzed, and you can no longer flex your thumb or touch it to your fingers.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a compression of the nerves in your wrist. Symptoms include pain, numbness and weakness in your wrist and hand.
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy causes burning pain in your arms, legs, hands or feet.
• Secondary osteoarthritis might develop in your wrist. Symptoms include pain and swelling of a deformed joint.
• EPL (the extensor pollicis longus) tendon tear. The EPL tendon stops your thumb from falling against your palm.