A Barton's fracture is an intra-articular fracture of the distal radius with dislocation of the radiocarpal joint.

There exist two types of Barton's fracture - dorsal^[1] 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. Carpal displacement 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.

[edit] Eponym

It is named after John Rhea Barton (1794-1871), an American surgeon who first described this in 1814.^[2][3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Dorsal Barton's Fracture / Dorsal Shearing Frx - Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
2. ^ synd/2821 at Who Named It?
3. ^ J. R. Barton. Views and treatment of an important injury of the wrist. Medical Examiner, Philadelphia, 1838, 1: 365-368.

[edit] External links

• http://www.edu.rcsed.ac.uk/photoalbum/ph161.htm
• 01217 at CHORUS

This medical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e