A broken bone is commonly known as a fracture. Any bone in the arm can be broken, but common areas for fractures in the arm are:
- Wrist, specifically the distal radius
- Forearm bones (radius and ulna) (Figure 1A)
Most broken arms are caused by trauma. In younger people, common causes are falls from a height, sports injuries and motor vehicle accidents. In older people with weaker bones, a trip and fall from a standing height is a common cause of a broken arm.