METHOD OF STABILIZING A FRACTURE AT A METAPHYSIS DEFINING A CONCAVE ARTICULAR SURFACE

A volar distal radius plate includes a shaft and a head. The head includes a radial side that seats below the volar rim, and an ulnar side with two extending tabs that provide a buttress support to ulnar fragments from the volar rim. The tabs are contoured to be atraumatic to the overlying soft tissue. The tabs can be readily re-orientated to better approximate the volar rim and provide close support to the volar fragments. Each tab includes a single hole specifically sized to closely receive a K-wire in a fixed angle orientation, and which permits the K-wire to apply a bending load to a tab in situ to bend the tab about a lower recess between the tab and the remainder of the head. Therefore, the plate does not require a dedicated bender. The tabs can also accommodate sutures.