Treatment of Distal Radius Fracture Using External Fixator with Kirschner Wires Augmentation Versus Locked Volar Plate

Introduction: Distal radius fractures are considered as the most common fractures among all age groups as these fractures represent approximately one-sixth of all fractures seen in the emergency room. Different methods of treatment were tried for management of these types of fractures. In this study we compared between two of these methods, namely closed reduction and external fixation with Kirschner wire augmentation versus open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a locked volar plate. Aim: The aim of this study is to compare between two groups of patients; ORIF group versus external fixation group as regard patient self-assessed and clinician assessed functional outcomes, radiological outcomes and complications. Patients and methods: 80 patients with displaced intra articular fracture distal radius were included in this study and were treated operatively, between December 2018 and December 2021. Forty patients were treated by Kirschner wire augmented external fixation and the other forty patients by locked volar plate. All patients were followed up and evaluated clinically and radiologically at 2, 4, 6, 12 weeks and thereafter at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months