A Colles fracture, also known as a distal radius fracture, is caused from the breaking of the radius. The radius is located in the wrist and is the larger bone of the two major bones in your wrist. This injury is most common in the elderly and young children. Older people have weaker bones and young children have softer bones that are less developed, causing this injury to be most common with these two age groups. There are four different types of Colles fracture. The first type is when the bone goes through the skin, commonly known as an open or compound fracture. The second type of fracture is a comminuted fracture, where the bone is broken in more than one area. The final two types of Colles fractures are intra-articular fractures and extra-articular fractures. The difference between these two is that the intra-articular fracture effects the bones inside you wrist joint and extra-articular fractures mean that the bones inside the wrist joint are not broken. The most common cause of this fracture is when you put your hand out to stop you when youre falling. There are also higher risks if you have osteoporosis, weak bones, low amounts of vitamin D, and if you participate in certain activities. While growing up youre told not to try to stop yourself when falling, this is the famous injury associated with falling and trying to catch yourself with your hands. There are many things that you can do to prevent yourself from this injury. One very important factor is proper nutrition. If you do not have enough calcium or vitamin D your bones will be more fragile than one with high amounts of calcium. Although proper nutrition is a big factor in healthy bones, so is exercise. While exercising is also a risk in breaking bones, it helps to strengthen your bones and helps develop your muscles, which will cause you to be less likely to accidentally fall and fracturing bones. Treatments for Colles fracture include four categories. The first is at