Treatment Modalities of Distal Radius Fracture

Background: All displaced fractures should undergo closed reduction, even if it is expected that surgical management will be needed. Fracture reduction helps to limit post injury swelling, provides pain relief, and relieves compression on the median nerve.The goal with plaster treatment is to maintain the reduced position of the fracture without compromising finger function. The cast should be well molded, without obstructing full motion of the MCP-joints or the elbow. A well-molded cast minimizes fracture movement, which will decrease pain.The comfortable and safe position to immobilize the wrist is in neutral radial-ulnar deviation and neutral or slight extension. Moderate ulnar deviation is accepted to preserve radial length with the support from the intact ulnaPercutaneous pinning :This is primarily used for extra-articular fractures or two-part intraarticular fractures. It may be accomplished using two or three Kirschner wires placed across the fracture site, generally from the radial styloid, directed proximally and from the dorsoulnar side of the distal radial fragment directed proximally. Transulnar pinning with multiple pins has also been described.External fixation is generally accepted as superior to plaster immobilization in the young patients with an intra articular comminuted fracture of the distal radius.There are two groups of fractures for which open reduction and internal fixation is advisable. The first group includes the two part shear fracture (Barton fracture), which is a radio carpal fracture dislocation.