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In treating distal radial fractures, researchers find no significant differences between external fixation and locked volar plating techniques

Jeudy J. Injury. 2011. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2011.05.021

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There is no significant difference in ulnar variance between external fixation and open reduction and internal fixation of distal radial fractures, though clinical results were better in the latter group, according to recent research.

When researchers analyzed 75 patients who either underwent external fixation (EF) or open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a locked volar plate, they found that while articular reduction was poor in 2 patients and 1 patient healed with a severe articular malunion in the EF group. There was no significant difference in ulnar variance between the two groups, according to the abstract. Articular reduction was classified as satisfactory in the ORIF group.

Regarding clincial and subjective results, the Green and O’Brien rating results were “significantly better in the ORIF group than in the EF group,” while neither group had better subjective results, according to the abstract.

Although statistically insignificant, patients who underwent ORIF also appeared to resume preoperative activities faster than the EF group, leading the authors to hypothesize that the ORIF technique could be used more often in young, active patients.