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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Chronic Pain | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (32)

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@catukf

Distal Radius Fracture after fall 3 wks ago. Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome??? Looking for advice

3 weeks ago, I fractured my left wrist after a fall. Diagnosed with distal radius fracture. For the first six days, I was managing well. However, on the seventh day, I developed severe pain specifically along the ulnar side of my wrist, radiating up to the elbow. I had a second X-ray done, which showed no change in the original fracture.

Since then, I have been unable to move my hand properly or rotate my forearm. Based on the symptoms, I began to suspect a TFCC tear, DRUJ injury, or possible ulnar impaction syndrome, as these conditions are known to not appear on standard X-rays and typically require CT or MRI for accurate diagnosis.

At my follow-up at the fracture clinic yesterday, I raised these concerns, but the consultant declined to refer me for any advanced imaging (CT or MRI). Instead, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

My current symptoms include:
Severe pain localised to the ulnar bone (not the radius), extending toward the elbow
Discolouration of the hand and fingers
Mild swelling
Limited ability to rotate wrist

Notably, I do not experience:
Allodynia (Pain on light touch)
NO heat or Burning sensations
Sweating

My question is:
How can CRPS be diagnosed without first ruling out mechanical injuries like TFCC tears, DRUJ injuries, or ulnar impaction syndrome—especially when these conditions typically require CT or MRI for detection and are not visible on standard X-rays?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Replies to "Distal Radius Fracture after fall 3 wks ago. Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome??? Looking for..."

Your story sounds a lot like mine. I had a distal radius fracture and then an ORIF with a bad outcome and all of the classic CRPS symptoms. After not being able to get additional imaging, I got a 2nd and then a 3rd opinion from surgeons from other clinics. Additional problems were identified via imaging and I had 2 more surgeries. I am well on my way to the resolution of my CRPS now. Had I stayed under the care of the first surgeon, I would be considered permanently disabled. CRPS is a diagnosis for a constellation of symptoms that many of us share and for which they can't find a cause or determine a resolution. But there is always an underlying reason and your chances of having that reason identified go up considerably if you seek out additional medical opinions. If you'd like to chat further, you're welcome to DM me. Whatever you do, don't give up!