The unstable distal radial fracture one year post Kapandji intrafocal pinning

• Published in: Injury Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 251 - 255
• Main Authors: Brady, O., Rice, J., Nicholson, P., Kelly, E., O'Rourke, S.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Nails; Colles' Fracture - diagnostic imaging; Colles' Fracture - surgery; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods; Fractures, Ununited - diagnostic imaging; Fractures, Ununited - surgery; Humans; Joint Deformities, Acquired - diagnostic imaging; Joint Deformities, Acquired - surgery; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Orthopedic surgery; Radiography; Recurrence; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Human; Radius; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Colles fracture; Intramedullary wire; Trauma; Long term; Percutaneous route; Orthopedic surgery; Treatment; Distal; Adult; Complication; Evolution; Instability; Upper limb; Technique
• ISSN: 0020-1383; 1879-0267
• DOI: 10.1016/S0020-1383(99)00075-3

Kapandji pinning has been proposed as the treatment of choice for unstable Colles' fractures. The aim of this paper is to evaluate our experience treating unstable Colles' type fractures using this technique. Over a nine month period, 36 patients with Colles' type fractures were treated operatively at St. Vincent's Hospital. 22 of these fractures were deemed unstable and were treated using percutaneous intrafocal Kapandji pinning. 20 of these patients were recalled for review at a mean of 11.3 month post injury. At this stage the wrist was examined clinically and radiologically. Initial satisfactory correction of deformity was achieved by this technique. Between the time of wire removal and final review, however, there was significant recurrence of dorsal angulation ( P<0.05), but no significant radial shortening on radiographs. The patients had a satisfactory clinical result in spite of these radiological parameters.