Buckle Fractures

The word torus is derived from the Latin word ‘tori’ meaning swelling. Buckle fractures or torus fractures are extremely common injuries.

With softer bones, one side of the bone may buckle upon itself without disrupting the cortex of the other side.

Buckle fracture of the distal radius

This AP view shows a small kink, or buckle, in the cortices on either side of the affected bone. The lateral, however, shows that the cortical breach is isolated to just the dorsal surface. (Click on the image to enlarge).

Immobilisation in POP is advisable for pain relief.

Some centres use simple wrist splintage to manage distal radial buckle fractures of the type seen on Image 1 (no ulnar involvement).

It has been shown to be safe to manage these conservatively, with no fracture clinic follow up, such is the nature of the remodelling and long term result.

Buckles can occur almost anywhere.

Fig 2: Distal femoral buckle Fig 3: Proximal tibial buckle