[Choice of surgical procedure of the distal radius. Bore wire versus plate]

At the distal radius surgical treatment is indicated in fractures with defect, compression zone or re-dislocation, fractures with joint depression, open fractures and fractures with neurological and circulatory impairment. K-wire transfixation is mainly indicated in unstable fractures of elderly patients, in juvenile fractures with involvement of the epiphyseal line, and in simple intraarticular fractures, if the articular surface can be restored easily. T-plate osteosynthesis is the method of choice in fractures with volar displacement (Smith-Goyrand), in dislocated unstable intraarticular fractures with at least two main fragments to support screws securely, in unstable extraarticular fractures, especially with large zones of compression or defects, in combined fractures of the scaphoid and the styloid processus of the radius, and in corrective osteotomies after posttraumatic misalignment. Basing on an evaluation of our own experience with 226 K-wire transfixations and 159 T-plate osteosyntheses, indication, surgical technique, postoperative treatment and results of the two methods are compared.