Purpose
With the current routine use of volar locking plates as the preferred surgical treatment
option for distal radius fractures, the purpose of this study was to investigate the
incidence of postoperative complications following surgery and, second, investigate
the correlation between demographic factors and the risk of complications.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed all patients who had been surgically treated for a distal
radius fracture with open reduction and internal fixation using volar plating and
screws during a 3-year period. Relevant demographic information and all postoperative
complications of the 822 patients eligible for inclusion were recorded, with a mean
follow-up time of 2.8 years.
Results
We identified an overall complication rate of 12.3% (101 of the 822 patients), with
4.8% defined as experiencing major complications and 7.5% defined as experiencing
minor complications. The most frequent were complications that led to hardware removal,
observed in 2.7% (n = 22) of the patients; wound-related problems that did not require
surgical revision, observed in 2.2% (n = 18) of the patients; and carpal tunnel syndrome,
observed in 1.9% (n = 16) of the patients. Binary logistic regression modeling showed
no correlation between demographic factors and the risk of complications.
Conclusions
In conclusion, a low overall complication rate of 12.3% was found. Further, 4.8% of
the patients experienced a major complication and 7.5% of the patients experienced
a minor complication following open reduction and internal fixation using volar plating
of distal radius fractures. Age, sex, fracture type, and time from trauma to surgery
were not found to be associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications.
Type of study/level of evidence
Prognostic IV.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 24, 2023
Accepted:
November 2,
2022
Received:
April 22,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
