Comparative study of the curative efficacy of the fixation with plaster or the external fixator in elderly patients with unstable distal radius fracture

Objective To compare the efficacy of the fixation with plaster or the external fixator in elderly patients with unstable distal radius fracture.Methods Eighty cases were randomly divided into the fixation with plaster group and the external fixator group,with 40 cases in each group.The patients were treated with closed reduction,and then fixed with plaster or external fixator.The external fixation were carried out within 2 h to 3 d after fracture.The external fixation lasted 6-8 weeks,and the healing time was 3-5 months.The patients received a follow-up for 6-24 months.Results The Garland and Werley demerit-point system improved by Sarmiento was used to assess the wrist joint function of 80 patients.The good rate of the fixation with plaster group was 65%,compared with 90% in the external fixator group(P0.05).Conclusions External fixations and fixation with plaster are useful methods for elderly patients with unstable distal radius fracture.While the external fixator has more advantages,which could avoid the pression of plaster,the disorder of blood circulatory,the atrophy of muscle,the shortening of the injured radial,the stiffness of the wrist joint and so on.External fixation alone is not suitable for Barton's fracture.