Radiological and Functional Outcomes Following Distal Radius Fixation With a Volar Locking Plate

Introduction With the increasing life expectancy, fractures of the distal radius are becoming more common. These are mostly treated with either closed reduction in a plaster cast or open reduction and fixation with a volar locking plate. The primary aim of our study was to assess the patient satisfaction following the volar locking plate fixation and the articular surface collapse at six weeks follow-up. Methods A total of 149 patients were included in the study. Measurements of radial height (RH), radial inclination (RI) and volar tilt (VT) were made pre-, intra-, and postoperatively at six weeks. The articular surface to distal screw distance (AD) was measured intraoperatively and at six weeks. Patient satisfaction was also assessed at their last follow-up. Results A total of 149 patients were included in this study. There were 54 (36.2%) males and 95 (63.8%) females, with a mean age of 48.9, ranging from 26 to 86 years. Preoperative mean RH, RI and VT were 8.06 mm, 14.51°, and -9.80 mm whereas the postoperative means were 12.06 mm, 22.15° and 5.94 mm, respectively. The AD intra- and postoperatively measured 5.73 mm and 4.60 mm. Of these patients, 94 (63.1%) were satisfied, 52 (34.9%) were not satisfied with the overall outcome at six weeks follow-up and three (2.0%) patients did not give any response in terms of satisfaction. The mean AD in patients satisfied with the overall outcome was 4.84 mm and 4.50 mm in those who were not satisfied. Conclusion Our study shows that there was a significant improvement in the distal radius radiological parameters following fixation with a volar locking plate at six weeks follow-up (P < 0.05). There was also a significant collapse of the articular surface at six weeks as shown by the decrease in AD (P < 0.05). The patients who were satisfied with the outcome had a higher average AD than those who were not satisfied.