A comparison of two methods of treating unstable distal radius fractures in the aged

Objective To compare the clinical results of internal plating plus bone grafting and close reduction plus external fixator in the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures in the aged patients. Methods A total of 36 patients with 41 unstable fractures of distal radius were treated from January 2008 to June 2009. Internal plating plus bone grafting was used for 26 patients (30 fractures), including 10 males (11 fractures) and 16 females ( 19 fractures), with an average age of 61.6 years. Close reduction plus external fixator was used for 3 males (3 fractures) and 7 females (8 fractures), with an average age of 56. 2 years. The time intervals between injury and operation ranged from 3 to 8 hours in this series. Results All patients were followed up for an average of 9.6 months (range, 3 to 16 months). According to the Dienst criteria, the internal plating group had an excellent to good rate of 93.33% while the close reduction group 54. 54%. The difference was statistically significant between the 2 groups (X2 = 8. 553, P = 0. 030) . Conclusion Internal plating plus bone grafting may result in better results than close reduction plus external fixator for aged patients with unstable distal radius fractures. Key words: Radius fractures; Fracture fixation; Internal fixators; External fixators