The advent of volar fixed-angle plate osteosynthesis has greatly improved the technical ability of the surgeon to treat distal radius fractures and expanded the indications for operative treatment. Nevertheless, the volar plate is not a panacea for all distal radius fractures. Increasingly, it has been recognized that the loss of fixation, secondary displacement, and lack of stability can occur...

We describe a 59-year-old man who had nonunion of a right distal radius fracture after volar locking plate fixation. He underwent open reduction and internal fixation with a volar locking plate system for a dorsally displaced, unstable distal radius fracture at a previous hospital 5 months ago. Radiographs of the injured wrist showed nonunion of the distal radius with 1.5-mm ulnar minus varianc...

1. exposure through A3 pulley 2. mobilization of volar fragment attached to volar plate 3. dorsal blocking wire to reduce and hold joint in place 4. elevation of any depressed articular fragment and bone grafting 5. repositioning of volar fragment over the base of middle phalanx 6. preliminary fixation with K wire 7. plating with mini 1.2 or 1.3mm T plate, or hook plate(s) 8. removal of dorsal ...

BACKGROUND Optimal surgical management of unstable distal radial fractures is controversial, and evidence from rigorous comparative trials is rare. We compared the functional outcomes of treatment of unstable distal radial fractures with external fixation, a volar plate, or a radial column plate. METHODS Forty-six patients with an injury to a single limb were randomized to be treated with aug...

Objective: The superiority of volar locking plate fixation and K-wire fixation on treatment of distal radius fractures was controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of volar locking plate and K-wires for distal radius fracture. Methods: We searched Embase, Medline and PubMed for randomized controlled trials which compare the effects of volar locking plate and K-w...

Figure 1. Anatomy of the volar plate.

We report a 38-year-old male with a nonunion followed by plate breakage after volar plating of a distal radius osteotomy. Volar locking plates have added a new approach to the treatment of distal radius malunions, due to a lower morbidity of the surgical approach and the strength of the final construction, allowing early mobilization and return to function. Conclusion. Plate breakage is an unco...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of volar and dorsal plate fixation for unstable dorsal distal radius fractures. METHODS Forty-seven cases were selected from patients undergoing surgical reduction and internal fixation treatment in our hospital from August 2006 to October 2010, with 21 males and 26 females, aged 39-73 years old. Patients were divided into two groups: volar plate fixation gro...

A case is presented of a 78-year-old woman who sustained a re-fracture of the distal radius after initial fixation with a volar locking plate. The fracture was located in the mid-portion of the volar plate with palmar apex bending of the plate and signs of median nerve compression. A successful closed reduction was performed without hardware failure. The fracture united uneventfully.

INTRODUCTION Fractures of the distal radius are very common and mainly occur in the elderly. There has been an increasing use of locked volar plate fixations which report satisfactory results. However, some authors advocate the use of nail fixation. HYPOTHESIS The aim of this study is to compare dorsal nail plate versus locked volar plate fixation in the treatment of distal radius fractures w...