Evaluation of Patient Expectations and Outcomes after Distal Radius Fractures

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Musculoskeletal Injuries

Background:

• Patient expectations significantly impact outcomes after musculoskeletal injuries.
• Understanding these expectations is crucial for managing patient-reported outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between pretreatment expectations and outcomes in patients with distal radius fractures.
• To analyze how age and treatment modality influence this correlation.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-five patients with distal radius fractures were enrolled in prospective nonoperative and operative cohorts.
• Trauma Expectation Factor-Trauma Outcome Measure (TEF-TOM) scores assessed expectations and outcomes at baseline and 3, 6, 12 months.
• Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (qDASH) and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) scores were also collected.

Main Results:

• Overall outcomes were worse than expected (P < .01).
• Younger patients (<65 years) had higher expectations than older patients (65+ years, P = .02).
• Older patients' outcomes at 6 and 12 months were significantly worse than expected (P = .04, P < .01). No significant differences in functional outcomes (qDASH/PRWE) were found between age or treatment groups.

Conclusions:

• Distal radius fracture treatment outcomes did not meet patient expectations in this cohort.
• Older patients (65+) had lower expectations but did not predict outcomes better than younger patients.
• Despite unmet expectations, functional outcomes improved across all groups, irrespective of age or treatment method.