We aimed to compare reoperations following distal radial fractures (DRFs) managed with early fixation versus delayed fixation following initial closed reduction (CR). We used administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, to identify DRF patients aged 18 years or older from 2003 to 2016. We used procedural and fee codes within 30 days to determine which patients underwent early fixation (≤ seven days) or delayed fixation following CR. We grouped patients in the delayed group by their time to definitive fixation (eight to 14 days, 15 to 21 days, and 22 to 30 days). We used intervention and diagnostic codes to identify reoperations within two years. We used multivariable regression to compare the association between early versus delayed fixation and reoperation for all patients and stratified by age (18 to 60 years and > 60 years).Aims
Methods
The benefit of MRI in the preoperative assessment of scaphoid proximal fragment vascularity remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare preoperative MRI findings to intraoperative bleeding of the proximal scaphoid. A retrospective review of 102 patients who underwent surgery for scaphoid nonunion between January 2000 and December 2020 at a single institution were identified. Inclusion criteria were: isolated scaphoid nonunion; preoperative MRI assessing the proximal fragment vascularity; and operative details of the vascularity of the proximal fragment with the tourniquet deflated. MRI results and intraoperative findings were dichotomized as either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for the presence of vascularity. A four-fold contingency table was used to analyze the utility of preoperative MRI with 95% confidence intervals. Relative risk was calculated for subgroups to analyze the association between variables and MRI accuracy.Aims
Methods
The primary aim of this study was to assess if traumatic triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears can be treated successfully with immobilization alone. Our secondary aims were to identify clinical factors that may predict a poor prognosis. This was a retrospective analysis of 89 wrists in 88 patients between January 2015 and January 2019. All patients were managed conservatively initially with either a short-arm or above-elbow custom-moulded thermoplastic splint for six weeks. Outcome measures recorded included a visual analogue scale for pain, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, and the modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS). Patients were considered to have had a poor outcome if their final MMWS was less than 80 points, or if they required eventual surgical intervention. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors for a poor outcome.Aims
Methods
The primary aim of this study was to describe patient satisfaction and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following corrective osteotomy for a symptomatic malunion of the distal radius. We retrospectively identified 122 adult patients from a single centre over an eight-year period who had undergone corrective osteotomy for a symptomatic malunion of the distal radius. The primary long-term outcome was the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score. Secondary outcomes included the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score, the EQ-5D-5L score, complications, and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with the PRWE score.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation with locking-plate fixation for patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius in the five years after injury. We report the five-year follow-up of a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 461 adults with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius within 3 cm of the radiocarpal joint that required surgical fixation were recruited from 18 trauma centres in the United Kingdom. Patients were excluded if the surface of the wrist joint was so badly displaced it required open reduction. In all, 448 patients were randomized to receive either K-wire fixation or locking-plate fixation. In the K-wire group, there were 179 female and 38 male patients with a mean age of 59.1 years (19 to 89). In the locking-plate group, there were 194 female and 37 male patients with a mean age of 58.3 years (20 to 89). The primary outcome measure was the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life using the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) assessment, and further surgery related to the index fracture.Aims
Patients and Methods