Failure of Distal Locking Screws in an Intraarticular Distal Radius Fracture Treated with Volar Locking Plate Fixation

Su Keon Lee; Sang Ho Lee; Uk Hyun Choi

doi:10.12790/jkssh.2013.18.4.178

Journal List > J Korean Soc Surg Hand > v.18(4) > 1106442

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Lee, Lee, and Choi: Failure of Distal Locking Screws in an Intraarticular Distal Radius Fracture Treated with Volar Locking Plate Fixation

Case Report

J Korean Soc Surg Hand 2013;18(4):178-183.

Published online: 12 December 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12790/jkssh.2013.18.4.178

Failure of Distal Locking Screws in an Intraarticular Distal Radius Fracture Treated with Volar Locking Plate Fixation

Su Keon Lee, Sang Ho Lee, Uk Hyun Choi

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gwangmyeong Sung-Ae General Hospital, Gwangmyeong, Korea

Correspondence to: Sang Ho Lee Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gwangmyeong Sung-Ae General Hospital, 36 Digital-ro, Gwangmyeong 423-711, Korea TEL: +82-2-2680-7236 FAX: +82-2-2617-9039 E-mail: ostitch79@naver.com

Received 30 September 201329 November 2013 Accepted 3 December 2013

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Distal radius fracture is one of the most common fractures treated in the orthopedic field. The application of locking plate principle to the distal radius has allowed comminuted distal radius fractures involving the articular surface to be effectively treated by open reduction and internal fixation. The authors experienced a case of failure of distal locking screws in an intraarticular distal radius fracture treated with volar locking plate fixation.

Keywords: Intraarticular distal radius fracture, Locking plate, Failure of screw

REFERENCES

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Fig. 1.

Initial (A) anteroposterior and (B) lateral radiographic view after injury, showing the distal radius fracture.

Fig. 2.

At operative day (A) anteroposterior and (B) lateral radiographs after open reduction and internal fixation with volar locking plate.

Fig. 3.

Radiographs show (A) dorsal angulation of the fracture following failure of screws. Despite the failure of screws, the lateral radiograph showed neutral alignment of the distal radius articular surface with (B) minimal shortening on the anteroposterior plane. (C) Photographs shows breakage of distal locking screws of volar locking plate due to overload from trekking pole.

Fig. 4.

Twenty weeks after the last surgery, (A) anteroposterior and (B) lateral radiographs show consolidation at the fracture site.

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