Surgical Treatment of Distal Fracture of the Radius

Distal dislocated radius fractures are now mostly treated surgically. Closed reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wires are increasingly giving way to internal fixation with screws or fixed-angle plates and to the use of the fixateur externe. For fractures with concomitant severe soft tissue injury treatment with a bridging external fixator and adequate soft tissue management are first necessary. External fixation is needed in addition, however, once soft tissue repair has been achieved by means of internal fixation with screws or K-wires, and the external fixator should remain in place until the fracture has started to heal. If possible preference should be given to the use of nonbridging fixators. Conservative treatment can now no longer be justified except for stable and nondislocated fractures. Arthroscopy/assisted reconstruction of the carpal articular surface is the subject of some controversy and is not yet accepted as a standard procedure. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2006.