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Close Packed Position for Distal Radius Fractures

Rebecca Neiduski, Ph.D., OTR/L, CHT

August 21, 2012

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Question

What is the "close-packed" position for wrist (radiocarpal) fractures?

Answer

A "close-packed" position for a joint is the optimal position for immobility with ligament tautness, maximal congruency between joint surfaces and the minimization of joint space.  This is how we should position a client during the immobilization phase to promote maximal healing and function. For example, in a wrist or radiocarpal fracture a close-packed position would be full extension of the wrist with slight ulnar deviation.


rebecca neiduski

Rebecca Neiduski, Ph.D., OTR/L, CHT

Rebecca Neiduski received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Washington University and a PhD in Education from Saint Louis University. She serves as the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Elon University in North Carolina. Becky has educated therapists in Guatemala, Romania, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, and has contributed to medical missions in Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cambodia. Becky was honored with the ASHT Paul Brand Award of Professional Excellence in 2014 and the ASHT Nathalie Barr Lectureship Award in 2016.


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