Intracarpal soft-tissue lesions associated with an intra-articular fracture of the distal end of the radius

Abstract

Sixty patients who had a displaced intra-articular fracture of the distal end of the radius were managed with manipulative reduction and internal fixation performed under both fluoroscopic and arthroscopic guidance. According to the AO/ASIF classification system, seven fractures were type B1, two were type B2, three were type B3, thirteen were type C1, twelve were type C2, and twenty-three were type C3. Forty-one patients (68 per cent) had soft-tissue injuries of the wrist, including tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (twenty-six patients), the scapholunate interosseous ligament (nineteen), and the lunotriquetral interosseous ligament (nine). Thirteen patients had two soft-tissue injuries. Intracarpal soft-tissue injuries were identified most frequently in association with fractures involving the lunate facet of the distal articular surface or the radius.