We report 30 cases of comminuted fractures of the distal end of the radius treated with Hoffmann-C type external fixation.
The mean age of patients was 56 years (range, 29-79) years. The follow-up period ranged from 4 to 51 months, with a mean of 19 months. The external fixation device was used for about 4 weeks and then a short arm brace with the wrist in a neutral position was used for about 10 days. We added an other procedure, such as percutaneous fixation with K-wire, or open reduction with bone graft or plating, when the reduction was not maintained solely by external fixation.
Anatomical and functional treatment results were good. According to Saito's point system, 26 cases were judged to be excellent, 3 cases were good, and 1 case was fair.
The Hoffmann-C type external fixation device is recommended for comminuted fractures of the distal end of the radius.
