Fracture of the distal radius with radial artery injury: Injury description and outcome of vascular repair

• Published in: Injury Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 437 - 441
• Main Authors: O’Toole, Robert V, Hardcastle, John, Garapati, Rajeev, Andrew Eglseder, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Distal radius; Female; Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods; Humans; Incidence; Male; ORIF; Orthopedics; Radial artery; Radial Artery - injuries; Radial Artery - physiopathology; Radial Artery - surgery; Radius Fractures - epidemiology; Radius Fractures - physiopathology; Radius Fractures - rehabilitation; Radius Fractures - surgery; Range of Motion, Articular; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; United States - epidemiology; Vascular repair; Vascular Surgical Procedures - methods; United States; Distal radius; Vascular repair; ORIF; Radial artery
• ISSN: 0020-1383; 1879-0267
• DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2012.09.001

Abstract Introduction The ideal treatment of an isolated radial artery injury that is associated with a fracture of the distal radius is unknown. Our purposes were to assess the incidence of this injury pattern and to describe the outcomes of our treatment protocol. We hypothesised that combined routine repair of the artery during operative treatment results in a satisfactory outcome. Methods Our study group consisted of 14 patients who were treated by one surgeon with a consistent treatment algorithm. The average follow-up duration was 52 weeks. Our control group consisted of 380 patients with fracture of the distal radius without radial artery injury, who were treated by the same surgeon during a 3-year period. Results We observed a 2% incidence of isolated radial artery injury in patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the distal radius. Outcomes were comparable to those reported for operative treatment of fractures of the distal radius without radial artery injury. Conclusions Our protocol resulted in adequate outcomes, a 71% patency rate (five of seven fractures with adequate vascular follow-up) and no evidence of symptoms related to a poorly perfused hand.