It sounds like you may have had a displaced intra-articular fracture of the distal radius. Surgery is needed to realign the joint surfaces to avoid uneven wear and tear and eventual arthritis.

According to the results of other patients in long-term studies, your chances of returning to work are very good. Patients after healing from the same kind of fracture you're describing were examined for 17 areas of function. Tasks included lifting, lowering, and carrying. They were also tested for range of motion, strength, and endurance. Dexterity or the ability to manipulate small objects was also measured.

Hand and upper extremity function was good enough for most patients to return to their previous jobs. In some cases, the workload had to be exchanged for lighter duty. Most of these same people still had good function when retested seven and again 15 years later.

Of course some of this decision may depend on the type of work you do and the kind of final results you will get from the surgery.