Purpose
To characterize the dorsal ulnar corner fragment with regard to size and morphology
using 3-dimensional software and computed tomography (CT) scans, as it presents in
low-energy intra-articular distal radius fractures occurring in the female postmenopausal
population.
Methods
A multicenter retrospective review was conducted to identify postmenopausal females
with low-energy distal radius fractures treated surgically at level-1 trauma centers.
Patients with low-energy injuries with preoperative CT scans were included. The Digital
Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data from CT scans were used to reconstruct
intra-articular fracture patterns. The dorsal ulnar fragment was isolated in each
CT scan and measured, then normalized based on lunate depth.
Results
Eighty patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean dimension measurements of the
dorsal ulnar corner were dorsal surface height, 9.82 ± 5.02 mm (95% confidence interval
[95% CI], 8.72–10.92); dorsal surface width, 9.06 ± 3.72 mm (95% CI, 8.25–9.88); articular
surface width, 7.44 ± 3.92 mm (95% CI, 6.58–8.30); articular surface depth, 4.14 ±
2.39 mm (95% CI, 3.62–4.67). The mean lunate depth measurement (17.52 ± 1.48 mm) was
used to normalize articular surface depth demonstrating that, on average, the dorsal
ulnar corner comprises 23.6% of the articular surface ± 13.6% (95% CI, 20.7–26.6).
Conclusions
The mean articular surface depth of the dorsal ulnar corner fragment in this study
was less than 5 mm, accounting for approximately 24% of the volar-dorsal width of
the distal radius at the lunate facet.
Clinical relevance
These data expand current understanding of the morphology and size of the dorsal ulnar
corner fracture fragment. If fixation of this fragment is a goal, surgeons may need
to use longer screws that penetrate closer to the dorsal cortex than those required
for extra-articular fractures or to consider alternative methods of fragment-specific
fixation for adequate capture of this fragment.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 05, 2020
Accepted:
February 3,
2020
Received:
January 18,
2019
Footnotes
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article. A.Y.S. is an educational consultant and receives royalties from TriMed Orthopedics, Santa Clarita, CA.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
