Clinical Results of Palmar Locking Plate Fixation for Distal Radius Fractures —Relations of between Clinical Symptoms and Presence of Ulnar Styloid Process Fractures—

Abstract

We performed palmar locking plate (PLP) fixation on 75 patients (19 men, 56 women, mean age 64.4 years) with distal radius fracture (DRF). The mean follow-up period was 5.4 months. At the end of the follow-up period, range of motion and grip power were measured. Further, the radiographic end-point was measured at the time of injury, immediately after surgery and at the end of each follow-up period. In addition, we classified ulnar styloid process fracture (USF) in 37 patients (tip 15, base 22) with displacement degree and examined presence of pain and bone healing rate. Ulnar side pain remained in 9 of 75 patients (12%) and bone-healing rate of USF patients was 12 of 37 (32%). However, the poor resuluts concerning the presence of ulnar side pain could be attributed to ulnar variance at our final assessment. Even if bone-healing rate was not obtained for treated USF with PLP in merged DRF, we concluded that in the final assessment, ulnar side pain will not occur.