Common Complications of Distal Radial Fractures

Association of distal radial fracture with comorbidities: model development and validation

BACKGROUND

To better assess the risk of distal radial fracture in the general population, we need models that take into account a wide range of risk factors other than osteoporosis. The objective was to develop and validate a model for association of patients' characteristics with distal radial fracture that effectively incorporates multifactorial aspects and includes comorbidities.

METHOD

We analyzed data from a large Longitudinal Health Insurance Database between 2000 and 2013. The outcome of the study was the occurrence of distal radial fracture and the predictors were demographic and comorbidity data. Two machine learning models were developed and validated for patients ≥50 (N = 2745) and <50 (N = 1587) years of age.

RESULTS

For patients aged ≥50 years, selected characteristics included sex, age, urbanization level, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, obesity, hyperlipidemia, trigger finger, hypertension, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and rheumatoid arthritis. For patients <50 years old, selected characteristics included age, sex, diabetes mellitus, urbanization level, carpal tunnel syndrome, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthritis, obesity, and hypertension. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, and likelihood ratio were 0.77, 0.83, 0.72, 0.77, and 2.92 for age ≥50 years and 0.73, 0.79, 0.67, 0.73, and 2.41 for age <50 years.

CONCLUSION

The study models can serve as reliable screening tools to assess the risk of distal radial fracture in the general population before bone mineral density testing. In addition, they can be integrated into decision support systems to help healthcare providers identify high-risk patients for additional evaluation and education, ultimately improving the quality of care.

A Stepwise Intraoperative Protocol to Minimize Complications after Volar Plating

Background  Although outcome of volar plating is generally good, care should be taken to avoid specific iatrogenic and preventable complications, with an incidence reporting averaging 15%. Flexor tendon rupture due to a prominent plate, extensor tendon rupture due to a dorsal protruding screw tips, cartilage lesions due to intra-articular screw placement, loss of reduction due to insufficient stability, and persisting ulnar pain with distal radioulnar joint instability due to unstable triangular fibrocartilaginous complex lesions or unstable ulnar styloid base fractures all have been described. Purpose  We believe that a majority of these complications can be prevented by meticulous assessment of several intraoperative parameters during volar plating. Therefore, we introduce the WRIST protocol, a stepwise easy-to-remember manual that combines multiple fluoroscopic measurements to guide intraoperative decision making. Conclusion  Large prospective studies of the "WRIST" protocol are needed for validation. But we believe that it may help surgeons to optimize surgical technique, functional and radiographic outcome, and prevent complications when treating distal radial fractures.

Efficacy of cast immobilization versus surgical treatment for distal radius fractures in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This articl e includes high-quality randomized controlled trials in recent years and updates the past meta-analysis. It has been proved that cast immobilization can achieve similar functional results, reduce economic burden in the long-term compared with surgery, and provide a basis for doctors to make treatment choices.

PURPOSE

The efficacy of conservative and surgical treatment of distal radius fractures (DRFs) in adults is still controversial. Recently, some high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the efficacy of both treatments. We hypothesized that treatment of DRFs with closed reduction and cast immobilization would achieve functional outcomes similar to surgery.

METHODS

This study is a systematic review and summary of RCTs comparing conservative and surgical management of DRFs from 2005 to March 2022. Patients were evaluated for functional and imaging outcomes and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 11 studies [1-11] included 1775 cases of DRFs. At 1-year follow-up, the cast group had lower mean differences (MDs) in DASH scores than the surgery group by - 2.55 (95% CI =  - 5.02 to - 0.09, P = 0.04); with an MD of 1.63 (95% CI = 1.08-2.45, P = 0.02), while the surgery group had a lesser complication rate than the cast group.

CONCLUSIONS

At 1-year follow-up, the lower DASH scores of the cast group showed advantages of this treatment, but the complication rate was higher than that of the surgery group. There was no massive distinction in other scoring methods.