Ulnar injuries in distal radius fractures

In the time of Hippocrates and Galen, distal radius fractures were thought to be dislocations of the wrist. In France, Pouteau was the first to differ from this view when he described in 1783 a variety of forearm fractures in the French literature, including distal radius fractures. Pouteau presented a muscular theory of fracture pattern etiology, but one that is useful in the understanding of the displacement of the bone fragments. His ideas were directed to the concept that in sprains and dislocations, ligamentous injuries should be considered in the differential diagnosis of forearm injury. As a result, distal radius fractures were initially termed Pouteau fractures in the French-speaking world [19].