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Does arthroscopic assistance improve reduction in distal articular radius fracture? A retrospective comparative study using a blind CT assessment

  • Original Article • UPPER LIMB - WRIST - ARTHROSCOPY
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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

The objective of this study was to compare the articular reduction in two groups of patients with a distal articular radius fracture who underwent surgery with versus without arthroscopic assistance. The initial hypothesis of this study is that arthroscopic assistance does not improve reduction in distal articular radius fractures.

Methods

The study was retrospective (1/04/2014–01/04/2017) and included 41 patients: 23 had arthroscopically assisted osteosynthesis, and 18 had not. All patients included had CT before and 3 months after surgery. All radiographic and CT measurements were retrospectively taken by an independent radiologist who did not know which operative technique was performed. Secondary judgement criteria were clinical analysis at 1-year follow-up and tourniquet time. We also reported all soft tissue injuries diagnosed and repaired and postoperative complications.

Results

At the third month, articular step was 0.91 ± 1.25 mm (arthroscopy) and 1.41 ± 1.68 mm (no arthroscopy), without statistical difference (p = 0.3756). No difference was found for articular gap between the two groups [arthroscopy (0.55 ± 1.04 mm), (no arthroscopy (0.82 ± 1.54 mm)] (p = 0.8574). Except for the tourniquet time, clinical results at 1-year follow-up were not different. One patient of each group had a scapholunate pinning, and 6 patients of the arthroscopy group had a TFCC 1B injury, which was repaired.

Conclusion

This study did not demonstrate that arthroscopic assistance improves step and gap reduction of articular distal radius fracture, confirming initial hypothesis and recent literature data.

Level of evidence

Retrospective, III.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d’orthopédie B, Hôpital Roger-Salengro, CHRU de Lille, Rue du Professeur-Emile-Laine, 59037, Lille Cedex, France

    M. Saab, P.-E. Wunenburger, E. Guerre & C. Chantelot

  2. Service Radiologie et Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Hôpital Roger Salengro, CHRU de Lille, Rue du Professeur-Emile-Laine, 59037, Lille Cedex, France

    V. Morel

  3. Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie, Hôpital de Hautepierre, 1 Avenue Molière, 67098, Strasbourg Cedex, France

    M. Ehlinger

  4. Service Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologie, Hôpital Ambroise Paré AP-HP, 9 Avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Th. Bauer

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  1. M. Saab
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  2. P.-E. Wunenburger
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  3. E. Guerre
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  4. C. Chantelot
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  7. Th. Bauer
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Contributions

MS: Main author—acquisiton of data and manuscript writing. PEW: Secondary author—acquisition of data. VM: Analysis of data. EG: Interpretation of data, revision of manuscript. CC: revision of manuscript, study conception. ME: Data interpretation, critical revision, study conception. TB: Data interpretation, study conception.

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Correspondence to M. Saab.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study, involving human participants, were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Saab, M., Wunenburger, PE., Guerre, E. et al. Does arthroscopic assistance improve reduction in distal articular radius fracture? A retrospective comparative study using a blind CT assessment. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 29, 405–411 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-018-2348-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-018-2348-y

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