Issue |
SICOT-J
Volume 1, 2015
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 34 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
Section | Upper Limb | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/sicotj/2015033 | |
Published online | 16 December 2015 |
Original Article
Treatment of unstable distal radius fractures: non-invasive dynamic external fixator versus volar locking plate – functional and radiological outcome in a prospective case-controlled series
1
Villar Bajwa Practice (London and Cambridge), 30 Devonshire Street, London
W1G 6PU, UK
2
James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough
TS43BW, UK
3
University Hospital of North Durham, North Road, Durham
DH15TW, UK
4
University Hospital of North Tees, Hardwick Road, TS198PE
Stockton-on-Tees, UK
* Corresponding author: alibajwa@doctors.org.uk
Received:
30
April
2015
Accepted:
5
October
2015
Introduction: Distal radius fracture (DRF) is a common injury and various treatment modalities including open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with volar locking plate are available. More recently, a non-invasive external fixator has been used.
Aims: To prospectively compare the use of a non-invasive external fixator with early dynamisation for DRF against ORIF with volar locking plate control group.
Methods: Consecutive patients with closed DRF were included in a prospective case-controlled study. Patients were assigned to non-invasive external fixator or ORIF. Minimum follow-up was two years. Follow-up was at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 26 and at one and two-year post-operatively. The outcome measures included demographic details, injury mechanism, AO fracture type, risk factors, body mass index (BMI), ulnar styloid fracture and dorsal comminution, radiographs, grip strength and DASH score.
Results: Consecutive 50 patients were treated either with non-invasive external fixator (25/50) or with ORIF (25/50) and the mean age of the two groups was 53 years (SD 17.1) and 49 years (SD 19.5), respectively. Demographics were matched in two groups. In the non-invasive external fixator group, there were 10 AO Type-A, 5 Type-B and 10 Type-C fractures. The ORIF group included 8 Type-A, 6 Type-B and 11 Type-C fractures. The mean DASH score at three-months and one-year post-injury in non-invasive fixator group was 12.2 (SD 3.1) and 3.5 (SD 0.7), respectively, significantly greater than those of ORIF group 14.5 (SD 5.6) and 11.2 (SD 4.4), respectively (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: DRF treated with non-invasive external fixator can give functional results superior to ORIF at three-months and the trend is maintained at one and two-year post-operatively.
Key words: Distal radius fracture / volar locking plate / external fixture / Functional result / Non-invasive fixator
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2015
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.