Functional Outcome of Intra-Articular Fracture of Distal End Radius Treated with External Fixator; A Prospective Study.

Abstract

Fracture distal end radius is one of the most common fracture treated in orthopedic emergencies. Nearly 1/6th (16%) of all fractures in orthopedic emergencies involve the distal end of the Radius. This is a prospective-interventional study conducted in the department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Mangolpuri, New Delhi with a sample size of the study is thirty patients treated with an external fixator from January 2021 to June 2022. Out of 30 patients, the number of female patients was 16 (53.33%) and the number of male patients was 14 (46.67%). The mean age of the patient was 50.5 years. 27 (90%) out of 30 patients were right-handed people which was a common behavioral finding and thus we expect more right side distal radius fracture in our study. Functional outcome was evaluated with the Gartland & Werley scoring system. 14 patients (46.67%) showed excellent results, 11 patients (36.67%) showed good, 3 patients (10%) showed fair, whereas 2 (6.67%) patients showed poor results. Stiffness was the most common complication seen in 6 patients (20%). From this study, it is concluded that an external fixator is a simple, safe, and cost-effective method for the treatment of distal end radius fracture with a lesser duration of hospital stay. It reduces the fracture by means of ligamentotaxis and maintains the reduction as well as restores the radial length without interfering with the fracture healing process.