Diagnosis

The diagnosis of a broken wrist generally includes a physical exam of the affected hand and X-rays.

Other imaging tests

Sometimes, other imaging tests can give your doctor more detail. They are:

• CT scan. CT scans can uncover wrist fractures that X-rays miss. Injuries to soft tissues and blood vessels can be seen on CT scans. This technology takes X-rays from a variety of angles and combines them to depict cross-sectional slices of your body's internal structures.
• MRI. Using radio waves and a powerful magnet to produce detailed images of bone and soft tissues, MRIs are much more sensitive than X-rays and can identify very small fractures and ligament injuries.