External fixation in distal radius fractures

Background: Distal radius fractures are frequent in emergency departments, treatment is generally conservative, but there are patients who meet certain criteria of instability who need surgical treatment, including external fixation. Aim: To update on the most important elements regarding the use of external fixation in unstable fractures of the distal radius. Methods: The search and analysis of the information was carried out in a period of 30 days (from April 1 to April 30, 2021) and the following words were used: distal radius fractures, distal radius fractures and external fixation and unstable radius fractures from the information obtained, a bibliographic review of a total of 809 articles published in the PubMed databases, Hinari, SciELO and Medline was carried out using the search manager and EndNote reference manager, of which 44 selected citations were used to perform the review, 37 from the last five years. Development: The criteria to be taken into account for the instability described by various authors are indicated, as well as the imaging parameters. The two most used classification systems are mentioned. Reference is made to general surgical indications, external fixation, and placement of additional wires. Complications are discussed and a comparison is made between external fixation and blocked volar plates. Outcome: External fixation in patients with unstable distal radius fracture is a useful treatment option