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Study shows no advantage to augmenting volar plate fixation with cement in elderly patients
Kim JK. J Bone Joint Surg (Am). 2011. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.00613.
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A 1-year follow-up revealed no significant differences in clinical and radiographic outcomes between elderly patients with unstable distal radial fractures who underwent volar plate fixation with calcium phosphate bone cement compared with plate fixation alone.
Jae Kwang Kim, MD, PhD, and colleagues from Ewha Womans University in South Korea compared 48 patients with a mean age of 73 years who had unstable distal radial fractures and were randomized to receive either volar locking plate fixation or volar locking plate fixation augmented with calcium phosphate bone cement. The investigators conducted radiographic assessments of the groups at immediate postop and 1-year follow-up. They also evaluated the patients’ grip strength, and wrist motion and pain. In addition, the investigators noted their patients’ DASH and modified Mayo wrist scores.
The study revealed similar clinical results between the groups at 3-month and 1-year follow-up, and comparable radiographic outcomes immediately postoperatively and at 1 year.
“Augmentation of metaphyseal defects with calcium phosphate bone cement after volar locking plate fixation offered no benefit over volar locking plate fixation alone in elderly patients with an unstable distal radial fracture,” the authors concluded.