Medium-term results after closed reduction and K wires fixation for distal radial fractures

Introduction. Distal radius fracture is the most common upper extremity fracture in the elderly population. Treatment options for these fractures vary from non-operative treatment by close reduction and casting to several operative fixation techniques. The results of these treatments were published in many papers, but only a few reported long-term outcomes. This study aims to analyse the medium-term results of the operative treatment of distal radial fractures conducted in the authors’ institution. Material and methods. In the years 2018–2019, 235 patients who sustained distal radial fractures were treated in the authors’ institution. The patients were contacted by phone to arrange a follow-up examination 5 years after the injury. From the entire group, 24 patients agreed to visit the authors’ institution for a follow-up examination. The study group comprised 24 patients, 20 women (83%) and 4 men (17%) at a mean age of 59. Assessment methods included pain intensity, wrist movements, grip strength and subjective evaluation of hand function, using a set of 3 questionnaires. Results. Most patients (79%) declared no pain in their wrists, and 5 (21%) had mild pain. Wrist movements were generally very good, with only about 10% lower than movements of a healthy wrist. In most patients, the grip strength of the affected hand was the same as that of the healthy hand. Only two patients had significantly reduced grip strength of up to 60% compared to the healthy hand. Subjective evaluation of hand condition with questionnaires yielded positive results on average, with only one patient experiencing significant dysfunction in her hand. Conclusion. The medium-term follow-up results of the present study demonstrate that almost all patients (96%) after distal radius fractures treated with percutaneous K-wire immobilization regain normal hand function.