Wrist Arthroscopy-Assisted Reduction for Distal Radius Fracture and its Associated Injuries: Clinical Observation of...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Arthroscopy
• Traumatology

Background:

• Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are common orthopedic injuries.
• Traditional open reduction and internal fixation may not adequately address intra-articular pathology.
• The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is frequently injured in DRFs, impacting wrist function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical efficacy of wrist arthroscopy-assisted open reduction and internal fixation versus simple open reduction and internal fixation for DRFs.
• To evaluate the ability of arthroscopy to detect and treat concurrent intra-articular injuries, specifically TFCC tears.
• To assess functional outcomes including pain, grip strength, and range of motion.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 60 patients with DRFs.
• Comparison of two surgical groups: arthroscopy-assisted fixation and simple open fixation.
• Postoperative assessment included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, Cooney wrist scores, grip strength, and wrist range of motion.

Main Results:

• All fractures healed successfully with no surgical complications.
• Arthroscopy identified and facilitated repair of 14 TFCC tears, while only 3 were identified preoperatively in the open group.
• The arthroscopy-assisted group showed significantly better wrist pain scores, grip strength, and range of motion at 3 months postoperatively (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Wrist arthroscopy-assisted surgery provides precise articular reduction and manages intra-articular pathology effectively.
• This technique allows for the evaluation and repair of concurrent injuries like TFCC tears, potentially preventing chronic wrist pain.
• Arthroscopy-assisted fixation demonstrates superior clinical efficacy for distal radius fractures with intra-articular involvement.