Analysis of Distal Radius Fracture Treatment With an External Fixator

This study included 37 patients with closed distal radius fractures treated with an external fixator. Twenty-eight fractures were classified as type C and nine fractures were type B according to the AO classification system. Twelve months after the removal of the external fixator, the dorsiflexion angle measured 64.3° (45-75°), the supination angle measured 73.9° (62-85°), the palmar flexion angle measured 74.2° (60-85°) and the pronation angle measured 84.1° (78-90°). Twenty-four patients were evaluated as good, eight patients were evaluated as excellent and five patients were evaluated as medium-poor according to the Sarmiento modification. The mean score was 75.38 (55-90) according to the Mayo scoring system. The mean DASH score was 8.27. In 12 patients, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) was occurred. Three patients in this group did not respond to medical and physical therapy. Three patients without daily life satisfaction were RSD patients. In 19 patients (51%), superficial pin tract infection occurred and was treated with antibiotics. There were no deep tissue infections. We concluded that the application of an external fixator for distal radius fractures led to satisfactory functional and surgical results.