Applying the WALANT technique to surgical treatment of distal radius fractures

The Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) method is a recent anesthesia option for surgery of the upper limbs based on the injection of an anesthetic solution containing adrenaline at the surgical site, hence circumventing tourniquet use. In a prospective study, we compared the functional outcomes using this anesthesia technique with those of the regional anesthesia (RA) technique for the surgical care of distal radius fractures (DRF). From November 2019 to June 2020, a non-randomized, single-center study was conducted with a cohort of 41 patients suffering from a DRF and who received volar plate fixation at a university hospital center. Twenty-one patients had WALANT surgery and 20 had RA with installation of a tourniquet. Over a period of 7 months, the clinical and radiological outcomes as well as the QuickDASH functional score were evaluated. Recovery of wrist function return to work, and analgesic withdrawal for the WALANT group occurred earlier than for the RA group. No noticeable differences were found regarding surgery duration or radiographic results. Using WALANT, functional wrist recovery occurs earlier than with RA. In our study, earlier analgesic stoppage, a quicker return to work and resumption of activity were observed with WALANT. As such, it should become part of the therapeutic arsenal for surgical treatment of DRF.