Statistics predict that one in six women over the age of 55 will suffer a wrist fracture in their lifetime. Conventional casting is not perfect: as many as 70 percent of repaired wrist fractures slip apart and wrist movement is limited for up to 12 weeks while the healing process occurs. In contrast, a minimally invasive implant called Micronail allows patients with fractures of the distal radius the forearm bone on the thumb side of the arm to begin using their wrists within two weeks. Another option, called external fixation, was the treatment of choice for a friend who recently tripped at home and broke her wrist. Alice reports that the fixator, inserted through the skin to hold the bones in place, helped her quickly regain hand function and remain independent. The lightweight device was removed four weeks later during a routine visit to her doctor's office.