14 patients (15 wrists) who had been treated for fracture of the distal end of the radius and had not been treated for ulnar styloid fracture at Sasebo Kyousai Hospital between January 1994 to December 1998 were studied for tenderness, ulno carpal stress test, bone union, and ulnar variance. According to Hauck et al., ulnar styloid fractures were classificd into tip fractures (type I) and base fractures (type II) There were 10 type I and 5 type II, 3 men and 11 women, and 6 right and 9 left wrists. The mean age was 58 years.
2 wrists (20%) showed ulnar side pain for type I, and 3 wrists (60%) for type II. Non-union was seen in 1 wrist (10%) for type I, and 4 wrists (80%) for type II. Wrists with both pain and non-union were 0 for type I, and 2 for type II. In 5 wrists with pain, 3 showed ulnar variance (more than 3mm) and the other 2 tested positive for ulnocarpal stress.
Type II fractures tend to be accompanied with pain and be non-union, while type I does not. Procedures such we pinning are thus recommended for type II fractures.
