Treatment of reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius in adults: a randomised controlled trial of De Palma percutaneous pinning versus bridging external fixation

Background: At present, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the best treatment method for reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius. This study compared the effectiveness of two methods used in surgical treatment of such fractures: percutaneous pinning and external fixation.Methods: We randomly allocated 100 patients into two groups treated surgically with modified de Palma percutaneous pinning and bridging external fixation. Independent but not blinded evaluators administered the DASH quality-of-life questionnaire at postoperative months 6 and 24, performed functional assessment of pain, range of motion, and palm grip strength, and radiographic examinations (volar and radial angle, and height of the radius) before the operation, immediately afterwards, and at 6 and 24 months postoperative. Modified de Palma percutaneous pinning patients used an above-elbow cast whereas external fixation group had unrestricted elbow motion after surgery. Patients who for any reason demonstrated treatment failure or required additional interventions were followed up and their results were included in the group into which these patients had initially been randomised according to the intention-to-treat principle. A significance level of 5% (alpha = 0.05). was used for all statistical tests, such that tests presenting a p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: Ninety one (58.8 mean age and 66 participants were female) were included in the final assessment at 24 months. the DASH questionnaire evaluation showed a statistically significant result favouring the de Palma group (mean difference = -7.1 p = 0.044) after six months, but this was not maintained at 24 months. There were no statistically differences between the groups with respect to palm grip strength. Analysis of the range-of-motion limitation index (uninjured side minus affected side motion of) showed a statistical difference (mean difference = 2.4 p = 0.043) favoring the external fixator group with regard to the supination movement 6 months after the operation; however, this was not maintained at 24 months. the final results of the radiographic evaluation were similar for the two groups. Overall, five patients developed complications: two with de Palma pinning and three with external fixation.Conclusion: There was a small statistically significant difference favouring the de Palma method in early functional at 6 months according to the DASH questionnaire, and for supination movement favouring the fixator group. However, both were not clinical relevant. By 24 months the groups were similar for all outcome

As classificações das fraturas do rádio distal são reprodutíveis? Concordância intra e interobservadores

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Various classification systems have been proposed for fractures of the distal radius, but the reliability of these classifications is seldom addressed. For a fracture classification to be useful, it must provide prognostic significance, interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility. The aim here was to evaluate the intraobserver and interobserver agreement of distal radius fracture classifications. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a validation study on interobserver and intraobserver reliability. It was developed in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - Escola Paulista de Medicina. METHOD: X-rays from 98 cases of displaced distal radius fracture were evaluated by five observers: one third-year orthopedic resident (R3), one sixth-year undergraduate medical student (UG6), one radiologist physician (XRP), one orthopedic trauma specialist (OT) and one orthopedic hand surgery specialist (OHS). The radiographs were classified on three different occasions (times T1, T2 and T3) using the Universal (Cooney), Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF), Frykman and Fernández classifications. The kappa coefficient (κ) was applied to assess the degree of agreement. RESULTS: Among the three occasions, the highest mean intraobserver k was observed in the Universal classification (0.61), followed by Fernández (0.59), Frykman (0.55) and AO/ASIF (0.49). The interobserver agreement was unsatisfactory in all classifications. The Fernández classification showed the best agreement (0.44) and the worst was the Frykman classification (0.26). CONCLUSION: The low agreement levels observed in this study suggest that there is still no classification method with high reproducibility.CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Para que as classificações das fraturas possam ser úteis, elas devem prover o prognóstico, apresentar concordância interobservador e reprodutibilidade intraobservador. O objetivo foi avaliar a concordância intra e interobservadores das classificações das fraturas do rádio distal. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo de validação (concordância intra e interobservadores), desenvolvido no Departamento de Ortopedia e Traumatologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, Brasil. MÉTODO: Foram avaliadas 90 fraturas do rádio distal com desvio por meio de radiografias por cinco observadores (um médico residente de Ortopedia do terceiro ano, um graduando do sexto ano de medicina, um médico radiologista, um ortopedista especializado em trauma e um ortopedista especializado em cirurgia da mão) em três momentos diferentes, empregando as classificações Universal (Cooney), AO/ASIF (Osteosynthesfragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation), Frykman e Fernández. Aplicou-se o coeficiente de concordância kappa (κ) para avaliação das classificações. RESULTADOS: O maior κ intraobservador médio, se considerarmos os três momentos, foi da classificação Universal (κ = 0,61), seguida da Fernández (κ = 0,59), Frykman (κ = 0,55) e AO/ASIF (κ = 0,49). A concordância interobservador foi insatisfatória em todas as classificações. A classificação de Fernández mostrou a melhor concordância (κ = 0,44) e a pior foi a de Frykman (κ = 0,26). CONCLUSÃO: Os baixos níveis de concordância observados neste estudo sugerem que atualmente ainda não há um método de classificação plenamente reprodutível