[The treatment of forearm-fractures in adults (author's transl)]

Our present report concerns 1264 lower arm, radius and ulna fractures, treated between 1971 and 1978. 1107 were treated conservatively, 157 operatively, 75 of the operatively treated fractures were treated by intramedullary fixation after reduction, 73 with plates and screws, in 7 cases we chose oblique pin fixation, in 2 transverse wires were placed, then casted. The individual cases are critically analysed and comparisons drawn relative to the different methods. Depending upon the general conditions of the patients, other injuries and anatomical variations of the fracture, the choice was made to treat conservatively or operatively. Our methods are discussed and compared with reference to our own cases and the world literature.