A pilot study to identify clinical predictors for wrist fractures in adult patients with acute wrist injury

Table 2 The association between clinical variables and presence of a fracture ( N = 95)

Clinical variable	χ ² -test	Ρ value
Patient history
Age >55 years	6.660	0.0036
Setting trauma high-low risk	1.038	0.308
‘Cracking’ sound heard	2.124	0.36
Inability to continue activity after trauma	0.69	0.723
Inability to carry weight directly after trauma	5.219	0.074
Support injured wrist by contralateral hand for pain relief	9.929	0.002
Swelling of wrist directly after trauma	16.213	0.000
Reduced range of motion directly after trauma	2.307	0.316
Wrist assessment
Swelling and/or hematoma present	14.703	0.000
Visible wrist deformity	6.976	0.0088
Tenderness at wrist^a	-	-
Pain distal radius with axial compression	0.856	0.652
Painful compression DRUJ^b	1.50	0.463
Reduced range of motion^c	9.158	0.002
Reduced radial deviation	5.095	0.024
Reduced ulnar deviation	1.776	0.183
Reduced palmar flexion	10.815	0.001
Reduced dorsoflexion	1.702	0.000
Reduced pronation	2.304	0.129
Reduced supination	9.460	0.002

^aThe χ ²-test and Ρ value were impossible to calculate since all patients had wrist tenderness. ^bDistal radio-ulnar joint. ^cThe variable reduced range of motion was used in the decision model rather than separated reduced ranges of motion.

ISSN: 1865-1380