Complications are common with distal radius fractures. The complications can in general be divided into those primarily related to the injury and those related to the choice of treatment. The most common of complications related to the injury are malunions, tendon injuries, neurological disturbances and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Malunions are seen more often after nonsurgical than after surgical treatment. The clinical relevance of the entity is however ambiguous, as there, in spite of concomitant radiological degenerative changes following a malunion, often also is a gradual improvement in clinical symptoms during the subsequent years. The expected spontaneous improvement, the functional demands of the patient and the predicted result of surgery must therefore all be taken into consideration in the decision-making process preceding any surgery of an established malunion.
