A distal radius fracture is a fracture within 3 cm of the articular surface of the distal radius, which is the junction of cancellous and dense bone, an anatomically weak area of the forearm, and is prone to fracture, and its incidence accounts for approximately 17% of emergency fracture patients. The wrist joint is one of the most functionally rich and important joints in the body. The most common cause of distal radius fractures is due to hand bracing after a fall, and older people with osteoporosis are more prone to fractures. Therefore, in the unfortunate event of a distal radius fracture, is it better to choose conservative or surgical treatment to restore the function of the wrist joint? Generally speaking, in order to better restore the function of the wrist joint, all unstable fractures require surgical treatment. So, what kind of distal radius fracture is an unstable fracture? Unstable distal radius fractures include the following: 1. comminuted metacarpal fracture of the epiphysis; 2. lateral displacement of the original fracture greater than 1 cm; 3. shortening of the original fracture greater than 5 mm; 4. intra-articular fracture; 5. combined ulnar fracture; 6. severe osteoporosis. These types of unstable fractures may not maintain satisfactory repositioning with plaster fixation and therefore do not restore wrist function well, and usually require surgical treatment.