Arthroscopically assisted treatment of distal radius fractures

After establishment of wrist arthroscopy the positive experiences gained for arthroscopically assisted treatment of fractures especially around the knee joint were transferred to the stabilization of distal intra-articular radius fractures. Simultaneous osteosynthesis by the use of external fixators and K-wires (ARPEF) was pushed into the background due to the rapid development of osteosynthesis techniques, especially of stable angle plating systems. Arthroscopic experience in acute wrist trauma helps to focus on early diagnosis of concomitant carpal injuries, because lesions of intercarpal ligaments and the triangularr-fi-brocartilage complex (TFCC) highly influencee-the final functional outcome even in casess-of-exact anatomic reduction of the radius fracture. Most of the concomitant injuries can be treated very early by minimally invasive techniques, so it is advisable to carefully look for corresponding signs. Therefore, wrist arthros-copy represents an important tool for early diagnosis in acute trauma and possibly minimally invasive treatment of carpal injuries and markedly contributes to an improvement of final functional results of distal intra-articular radius fractures.