Colles fracture grip strength question: The permanent disability is which percentage?

Colles fracture grip strength question: The permanent disability is which percentage?

• A. 14 percent
• B. 13 percent
• C. 17.1 percent
• D. 18.2 percent

Answer: (B)

Permanent disability rating for a Colles fracture is determined by the amount of grip-strength impairment it leaves, translated into a whole-person disability percentage using the upper-extremity impairment guidelines. After a distal radius fracture like Colles, a residual grip-strength deficit that is present but not extreme typically maps to a modest whole-person percent—around the low-teens. This is why 13 percent best fits the scenario: it reflects a noticeable but not severe loss of grip strength that the standard rating schedule would assign for this type of wrist injury. The other values imply greater impairment than what a typical Colles fracture with persistent grip weakness would produce, so they’re not as appropriate for this pattern of injury.

Permanent disability rating for a Colles fracture is determined by the amount of grip-strength impairment it leaves, translated into a whole-person disability percentage using the upper-extremity impairment guidelines. After a distal radius fracture like Colles, a residual grip-strength deficit that is present but not extreme typically maps to a modest whole-person percent—around the low-teens. This is why 13 percent best fits the scenario: it reflects a noticeable but not severe loss of grip strength that the standard rating schedule would assign for this type of wrist injury.

The other values imply greater impairment than what a typical Colles fracture with persistent grip weakness would produce, so they’re not as appropriate for this pattern of injury.