Surgical Treatment of the Distal Radius Fracture

Youn, Joon O; Kim, Ji Chul

Abstract

Fractures of the distal radius are one of the most common injuries met in the orthopedic field. Once it was thought that good function comes despite of poor anatomic restoration in the distal radius fractures. But now there are wide consensus that more aggressive surgical treatments are needed in such complex fractures to fulfill the better clinical results. We reviewed 56 consecutive distal radius fractures of 54 patients treated surgically in Orthopedic Department of Asan Medical Center between October 1989 and July 1994. The mean length of follow-up was 29.2 months. Clinical end results were statistically analyzed according to each anatomi- cal variables and state of distal ulna, and anatomies and results were analyzed according to different surgical modalities in each fracture classes. Radial length and radial inclination was significantly correlated with clinical results. The clinical results were significantly worse when dorsal tilt exceeded 10. In intraarticular type of fractures, residual articular incongruency seems to be the significantly affecting factor of development of arthritis and the clinical result. The associated fracture of distal end of the ulna did not significantly affect the result. In same type of fracture class, achievement and loss of reduction, arthritis, and Demerit score show no significant differences between groups of different surgical modalities. Probably this is due to proper choice of modalities in each different situations.