The dinner fork deformity is classically associated with which fracture?

The dinner fork deformity is classically associated with which fracture?

• A. Colles fracture
• B. Smith fracture
• C. Jefferson fracture
• D. Monteggia fracture

Answer: (A)

The dinner fork deformity comes from a distal radius fracture with the distal fragment displaced dorsally after a fall on an outstretched hand. This dorsal angulation creates the fork-like contour seen on X-ray and often accompanied by slight shortening of the forearm. This pattern is most classically associated with a Colles fracture, which is a distal radius fracture with dorsal tilt and is common in older adults with osteoporosis or after a fall onto an extended wrist. In contrast, a Smith fracture shows ventral (palmar) displacement of the distal fragment, a Jefferson fracture is a burst of the atlas (C1), and a Monteggia fracture is a proximal ulna fracture with radial head dislocation. So the dinner fork deformity is the hallmark of a Colles fracture.

The dinner fork deformity comes from a distal radius fracture with the distal fragment displaced dorsally after a fall on an outstretched hand. This dorsal angulation creates the fork-like contour seen on X-ray and often accompanied by slight shortening of the forearm. This pattern is most classically associated with a Colles fracture, which is a distal radius fracture with dorsal tilt and is common in older adults with osteoporosis or after a fall onto an extended wrist. In contrast, a Smith fracture shows ventral (palmar) displacement of the distal fragment, a Jefferson fracture is a burst of the atlas (C1), and a Monteggia fracture is a proximal ulna fracture with radial head dislocation. So the dinner fork deformity is the hallmark of a Colles fracture.