[Reliability of radiographic parameters to determine the surgical success in distal radius fractures].

Abstract

Introduction: distal radius fractures are the most common in upper extremities. Therefore, it is important to standardize radiographic measures for their surgical approach. This study assessed the intra/interobserver reproducibility of radiographic parameters associated with surgical success of distal radius fractures.

Material and methods: retrospective cross-sectional design of secondary data extracted from clinical records. Posteroanterior and lateral X-rays of 112 distal radius fractures were assessed by two trauma specialists standardized in the measurements required to compute five parameters indicative of postoperative success: radial height, radial inclination, volar tilt, ulnar variance, and articular stepoff. The reproducibility of distances and angles was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method, calculating the mean of the difference between measurements, the range at ± 2 SD, and the proportion of measurements outside ± 2 SD. Postoperative success was also compared between patients with and without obesity according to the mean of the two measures made by each evaluator.

Results: evaluator 1 had the largest intra-observer difference in radial height (0.16 mm) and the largest proportion outside ± 2 SD in ulnar variance (8.1%); evaluator 2 had the largest difference in volar tilt (1.92o) and the highest proportion in radial inclination (10.7%). The largest inter-observer difference was for ulnar variance (1.02 mm) and the largest proportion outside ± 2 SD. for radial height (5.4%). Radial tilt had the largest difference (1.41o) with 4.5% of measurements outside ± 2 SD. Ulnar variance and volar tilt had the largest difference in postoperative success between evaluators, especially in patients with obesity.

Conclusion: improving the radiographic quality and standardizing the measurements results in more reproducible indicators.