Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Trauma - Forearm
Abstract number: 25156
LOSS OF RADIOGRAPHIC ALIGNMENT AFTER VOLAR PLATING OF
ARTICULAR DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURES
Gerald GRUBER 1 , Christian GIESSAUF 1 , Mathias GLEHR 1 , Heimo CLAR 1 , Gerwin
BERNHARDT 2
1 Medical University Graz, Department of Orthopaedics, Graz (AUSTRIA), 2 Medical
University Graz, Department of Surgery, Graz (AUSTRIA)
IntroductionDespite the recent trend toward internal fixation, few studies have
examined patients´ quality of life after volar plating of unstable distal radius fractures.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of loss of radiographic alignment
after volar plating of articular distal radius fractures on both objective and subjective
results. Methods Fifty-three consecutive patients with 5 AO type C1, 31 C2 and 17
C3 distal radius fractures and a mean age of 61 years were treated with a volar
locked plating system and prospectively followed for 6 years. The clinical data were
quantified with the scoring systems of Gartland and Werley and Castaing. For
subjective outcome assessment, the DASH score and the Short Form 36 were
completed.ResultsVolar tilt was on average 6±5 degrees immediately after surgery
and 6±7 degrees at the 6-year follow-up and radial inclination changed from an
average of 19±4 degrees to 17±4 degrees; the change of radial inclination was
significant (p0.05). There
was no statistically significant correlation between wrist function, the development of
radio-carpal arthritis and loss of radiographic alignment. Patients with radio-carpal
arthritis had significantly higher DASH scores (p