Greenstick Fracture (Broken Wrist): Recovery Time & Treatment

Do you or your child have a greenstick fracture in the wrist? It’s one of the most common fractures in children, and one from which we recover very well 🙂.

I answer the most frequently asked questions about these fractures. As usual, I draw on my experience as a physiotherapist and on the data available in medical studies, so that you can have more precise figures on healing time in particular!

If you have any questions, comments or experience to share, just drop us a line!

♻️ Last update: February 10, 2025
👩‍⚖️ Declaration of financial interests: amazon affiliate links. My complete declaration of links of interest is in legal mentions.
Written by Nelly Darbois, physiotherapist and scientific editor

What does a greenstick fracture look like?

A greenstick fracture in the wrist or forearm is a “small” fracture: the forearm bone is not broken across its entire width, but simply cracked. It may involve the radius (radius fracture) and/or the ulna (=cubitus), the 2 bones of the forearm.

Most often, these fractures involve the middle of the bones, i.e. the part furthest away from the joint, halfway between the wrist and the elbow. This part is called the diaphysis, a term you may see on your X-ray report.

It falls into the broad category of wrist fractures.

Why more in children than in adults?

Greenstick fractures can occur in adults. But it is more common in children under 10. Why does it happen?

This is because children’s bones are still growing and have a different structure to adult bones. They contain more cartilage, which makes them more flexible and less likely to break completely. Hence the incomplete crack rather than the complete fracture.

Why is it called a greenstick fracture?

Greenstick fractures are named after the way they resemble a young, green twig when it bends. Unlike dry, brittle branches that break cleanly, green twigs flex and splinter without completely snapping.

Similarly, in a greenstick fracture, one side of the bone bends and cracks while the other remains intact, rather than breaking into separate pieces.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a greenstick fracture are the same as those of a classic fracture:

• pain without doing anything, but above all by moving;
• difficulty using arm ;
• sometimes swelling, edema, hematoma.

Only an X-ray can ensure that there is indeed a crack or fracture, and that it’s not a “simple” sprain or contusion (a blow with no effect on the bone).

How does it most often occur?

Greenstick fractures most often occur after a fall onto an outstretched arm. But they can also be caused by other types of trauma:

• motor vehicle collisions,
• sports injuries (fall from a horse, bad landing in gymnastics, etc.),
• or non-accidental trauma (child is hit with an object).

In this article, I focus on greenstick fractures of the wrist, but all long bones of the arms and legs can be affected: fibula (=perineum), tibia, humerus, clavicle. And even other bones in the face, chest or back.

What is the usual treatment for a greenstick fracture?

In some cases, the greenstick fracture needs to be reduced: a doctor uses hand manoeuvres to re-align the bones correctly. But this is not systematic, depending on how “out of line” the bone is.

This is followed by immobilization, and possibly rehabilitation. Very rarely, an operation.

Conservative treatment: immobilization

Whether your greenstick fracture has been reduced or not, you’re going to have immobilization.

Either via a splint that goes from the hand to below the elbow (depending on the precise location, this cast can even go higher), or via a plaster or resin cast. If you have a cast, you may also be prescribed an additional sling so that you can occasionally “rest” your arm in the sling(see amazon).

Often you’ll be put in a splint first, then a plaster cast afterwards. Why do we do this? Because there’s swelling at first: if you put the cast on straight away, it quickly becomes too big, and you have to put it on again a few days later.

It all depends on the team you come across and their habits.

How long can I keep the splint or cast on?

The medical team treating you should have given you personalized information on this subject. In general, immobilization, whether in a cast or a splint, lasts 6 weeks.

Often, a follow-up x-ray is taken after 3/4 weeks to see how things are progressing. The X-ray shows whether the bone is beginning to heal properly, and whether or not it’s time to stop the immobilization.

If you have a splint, you can remove it to shower.

Can we still use the arm?

Yes, using the arm is even recommended ! It’s what prevents the other joints from stiffening or losing too much muscle.

If it’s not too painful, you can write, eat with this arm, get it up on time.

However, it’s best to avoid carrying anything too heavy (say, over 1 or 2 kilos), as this could put stress on the fractured area.

Surgical treatment: operation = rare

Surgery is very rare for greenstick fractures. When it does occur, it’s because there are other associated problems.

Do I need rehabilitation / physiotherapy / exercises?

In children, physiotherapy sessions are prescribed less often than in adults. And the younger the child (3/4 years), the less relevant they are.

After all, a child quickly gets on with life as it was before. They usually spontaneously get the hang of measuring and sensing what they can and can’t do. And in any case, a young child won’t be able to integrate “caution” advice 🙂 .

The younger the child, the less need there is for specific exercises: he or she can spontaneously use his or her arm very well a few days after removing the splint or cast, and will naturally return to his or her former life within a few weeks.

Physiotherapy may be appropriate if you find it difficult to use your arm in everyday life, or if your wrist feels very stiff or weak. In this case, your physiotherapist can show you things you can do on a daily basis.

Sportswomen and sportswomen with high demands on their upper limbs may also wish to be supervised by physiotherapists.

I develop this point a little further in my ebook.

How long does it take to heal a greenstick fracture?

⏱️ Here’s a chart summarizing the different stages of recovery and healing after a greenstick wrist fracture.

Step	Healing time (usual)
You have much less pain	A few days
Bone healing is complete or well under way	4 to 6 weeks
Swelling and bruising disappear	A few days to a few weeks
No need for downtime	4 to 8 weeks
You can gradually use your hand to eat and dress yourself.	Immediately
You can start carrying weights (bags, dumbbells) with a fractured wrist.	Gradually when there is no longer any splint or cast
You can resume all your previous physical and sporting activities	Gradually, as soon as there is no longer any immobilization. A child can still go about his or her life, go to the park, run around, with the cast on (and still try to go more quietly than usual… but that’s often not easy for a child 🙂 !)

Is there a risk of complications or after-effects?

In the vast majority of cases, a greenstick fracture recovers quickly and well, with no after-effects or complications. Within a few weeks.

Very rarely, the fracture may shift and require further immobilization or surgery, but this is very rare. Occasionally, a small “deformity” may remain, with one forearm not perfectly symmetrical to the other, but this is minor and rare.

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I’ll see you in the comments for any comments, experience sharing, questions 🙂.