BACKGROUND Distal radius fractures are one of the most common injuries that orthopaedic surgeons will face during their trauma practice. Despite this, many aspects in distal radius fracture management like the definition of what constitutes an acceptable reduction and when or even whether to operate a patient with a distal radius fracture remain a poignant subject of debate even to this day. We wanted to evaluate the functional outcome of fractures of distal end of radius managed with buttress plate. The importance of anatomical reduction in attaining a good functional outcome and post-operative complications of the procedure are also studied. METHODS A prospective study of cases of distal end of radius fractures meeting the inclusion criteria who were admitted in Thrissur Government Medical College, Kerala between 1 – 01 - 2016 to 1 – 06 - 2017 was carried out. Fractures were classified according to Frykman system and anatomical reduction of fragments attempted using buttress plate and screws. After a minimum follow up period of 3 months, the anatomical and functional outcomes were standardised using Lindstorms anatomical and functional scoring system. RESULTS A series of 32 cases with distal end of radius fracture were studied comprising of 24 males and 8 females. Majority were in the age group of 20 to 29 years (50 %). Road Traffic Accidents was the commonest cause of injury (62.5 %). Type III Frykman made the largest contribution with 11 (34 %) cases. A total of 7 cases were found to develop complications including blisters, joint stiffness, infection and paraesthesia. Postoperatively, excellent anatomical reduction was achieved in 75 % of cases and good results in 12.5 % cases. Functionally 68.75 % cases had an excellent outcome and 18.75 % had a good result. CONCLUSIONS Good to excellent results were seen in majority of patients after buttress plate fixation of the distal radius, with outcomes and complications comparable to other studies in literature. This study supports the finding that precise identification of unstable lower radial fractures, and satisfactory anatomical restoration results in improved functional outcome. KEYWORDS Distal End Radius Fracture, Buttress Plating, Functional Outcome, Frykman Classification, Lindstorm Scoring System
Functional Outcome after Treatment of Aggressive Tumours in the Distal Radius: Comparison between Reconstruction using Proximal Fibular Graft and Wrist Fusion
