Delayed Fracture Healing in Diabetics with Distal Radius Fractures

Diabetics may have an increased fracture risk, depending on disease duration, quality of metabolic adjustment and extent of comorbidities, and on an increased tendency to fall. The aim of this retrospective one-centre study consisted in detecting differences in fracture healing between patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Data of patients with the most common fracture among older patients were analyzed.

Classification of distal radius fractures was established according to the AO classification. Inital assessment and follow-up were made by conventional X-rays with radiological default settings. To evaluate fracture healing, formation of callus and sclerotic border, assessment of the fracture gap, and evidence of consolidation signs were used.

The authors demonstrated that fracture morphology does not influence fracture healing regarding time span, neither concerning consolidation signs nor in fracture gap behaviour. However, tendency for bone remodeling is around 70% lower in investigated diabetics than in non-diabetics, while probability for a successful fracture consolidation is 60% lower.

To corroborate the authors hypothesis of delayed fracture healing in patients with diabetes mellitus, prospective studies incorporating influencing factors like duration of metabolic disease, quality of diabetes control, medical diabetes treatment, comorbidities and secondary diseases, like chronic nephropathy and osteoporosis, have to be carried out.