Surgery for posttraumatic wrist deformity. Radial osteotomy and/or ulnar shortening in 16 Colles' fractures

16 patients with pain and impaired function after malunited fracture of the distal radius were treated with opening wedge lengthening osteotomy of the radius with bone grafting (12 cases), shortening osteotomy of the ulna (3 cases), or a combination of these methods (1 case), with or without reattachment of the triangular fibrocartilage complex. 4 patients had to be reoperated because of redislocation, resorption of the graft, fracture of the plate, or persistent non-union. At re-examination after a median of 4 years, all patients but 2 were improved by the procedure.