A Prospective Study on the Clinical Profile, Management, and Functional Outcomes of Distal Radius Fractures in Adults

Abstract

Background: The distal radius fractures are one of the most frequent orthopedic injuries that people face in adulthood and are linked to high morbidity, particularly related to the functioning of the wrist and performing their daily activities. The fractures are as a result of high-energy trauma on the young people and low-energy falls in older populations especially in people with osteoporosis.

Aim: To prospectively evaluate the clinical profile, management strategies, and functional outcomes of distal radius fractures in adult patients.

Methodology: The study involved a potential observational study, carried out at the Department of Orthopaedics, Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences, Nalgonda, during one year. One hundred and forty adult patients with fractures of the distal radius were studied. Demographic, mechanism of injury, fracture and treatment modalities, and functional outcome data were gathered and statistically analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Most patients were between 31-45 years (34.3) of female gender (57.1). An extended hand fall was the cause of 62.9% of falls. The conservative treatment was conducted in 58.6% of patients, and 41.4 were subjected to surgery. The functional outcomes of the unstable fractures surgically treated were much more favorable compared to the conservative management of the unstable ones, with the treatment of the stable fractures providing satisfactory results.

Conclusion: The treatment planning of distal radius fractures should be individual. In unstable fractures, surgical intervention is better with superior functional results compared to conservative management, which is effective with stable injuries.

Keywords: Distal radius fracture, Functional outcome, Orthopaedics, Conservative treatment, Surgical management