Abstract
We report the clinical outcome of surgical treatment of distal radius fracture using external skeletal fixation. During the period 1998-2004, 26 patients (8 men and 18 women) with a mean age of 58.3 years (range, 18-80 years) were enrolled in this study. The fracture type was comminuted and unstable. The clinical outcome were evaluated with volar tilt (VT), radial tilt (RT), radial length (RL), and Saito’s point system. The postoperative VT, RT, RL improved remarkably in comparison to the preoperative measures. Scores of subjective symptons were excellent at 65.4% by Saito’s point system. Three cases were evaluated as ‘poor’due to reflex sympathetic dystrophy. External skeletal fixation is one of the most useful methods for the communited and unstable distal radius fracture because it is less invasive, allows easy reduction of the fracture, and is easy to maintain. New non-bridging type external skeletal fixation, which allows early mobilization, tends to prevent the reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
