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. 2011 Sep;2(5-6):187-94.
doi: 10.1177/2151458511426874.

Aspects of current management of distal radius fractures in the elderly individuals

Rohit Arora  1 , Markus Gabl, Stefanie Erhart, Gernot Schmidle, Christian Dallapozza, Martin Lutz
Affiliations

Aspects of current management of distal radius fractures in the elderly individuals

Rohit Arora et al. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Diatal radius fractures (DRFs) are typical fractures of relatively fit persons with osteoporotic bone who remain active into older age. Traditionally, DRFs in older patients have been treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization. Considering the increasing life expectancy of the elderly population, appropriate management of these fractures is of growing importance. Decision making for surgical or nonsurgical approach to osteoporotic DRFs is difficult. These decisions are often made based on the data from treatments of much younger patients. The current literature concerning the treatment of DRFs in the elderly individuals is more controversial. Some investigators have recommended open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) as treatment for unstable DRFs in older patients, while others have suggested that elderly patients should be treated nonsurgically even if there is an unstable fracture situation because fracture reduction is not associated with functional outcomes as in younger patients. This article reviews the different treatment options for DRFs in the elderly individuals reported in the recent literature.

Keywords: distal radius fracture; elderly; geriatric trauma; osteoporosis; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Anatomy of the distal radius. A, Palmar tilt. B, Radial inclination. C, Radial length. D, Ulnar variance.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Osteoporotic distal radius fracture with concomitant distal ulna fracture stabilized with K-wires.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Osteoporotic distal radius fracture with concomitant distal ulna fracture stabilized with K-wires and additional external fixator. Neither the radial inclination nor the radial length could be restored in this unstable fracture.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Osteoporotic distal radius fracture treated with volar locking plate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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