Distal Radius Fracture Treated with a Modified Kocher-style Dorsolateral Approach, Distal Radius T-plate, and...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Traumatology
• Skeletal Repair

Background:

• Distal radius fractures are common, with unstable types often needing surgical intervention.
• Volar locking plates are the standard for many unstable distal radius fractures.
• Fragment-specific fixation is an alternative for certain radial styloid or column fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of displaced distal radius fracture treated with a modified Kocher-style dorsolateral approach.
• To evaluate the efficacy of cannulated compression screw fixation augmented by a T-plate for radial styloid-dominant fractures.
• To explore a potential alternative surgical technique for select distal radius fracture patterns.

Main Methods:

• A 45-year-old male with a displaced extra-articular distal radius fracture underwent open reduction and internal fixation.
• A modified Kocher-style dorsolateral wrist approach was utilized.
• Fixation involved a cannulated compression screw and a distal radius T-plate.

Main Results:

• The fracture was anatomically reduced and stabilized with maintained alignment postoperatively.
• Radiographic union was achieved by 3 months with excellent functional recovery (range of motion, grip strength).
• The patient remained asymptomatic at 1 year with no complications.

Conclusions:

• A modified Kocher-style dorsolateral approach with screw and T-plate fixation may be a viable alternative for specific distal radius fractures with large radial styloid fragments.
• This technique offers stable fixation and avoids standard volar plating in carefully selected cases.
• Further studies are needed to confirm generalizability due to the single-case design.