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Orthopaedics

Fracture of the Distal Radius

Built from Tang — Orthopaedic Trauma Vol 1: Upper Extremity

The first 25 slides of Fracture of the Distal Radius
The first 25 slides, exactly as they appear. The full deck has 114 content slides.

What’s inside

13 sections · 114 slides

  1. 01

    Overview

    • What this topic teaches you

    1 slide

  2. 02

    The distal radius and why it breaks

    • A common fracture across a range of severity
    • The four measurements that define a normal wrist
    • Key radiographic measurements of the distal radius
    • AP distance and Lister's tubercle: two more clues
    • The distal radioulnar joint: keeping rotation
    • The TFCC: the wrist's inner cushion and sling
    • Stabilising structures of the distal radioulnar joint
    • TFCC tension in rotation; ulnar styloid patterns
    • TFCC tension and ulnar styloid fracture types
    • The three-column theory of the wrist
    • The three columns of the distal radius and ulna
    • Melone classification: four fragments, five types
    • Melone classification of distal radius fractures
    • Reducing a Melone fracture by hand: Agee's steps
    • Why ligaments limit closed reduction
    • Volar and dorsal radiocarpal ligaments
    • How the column theory shapes plate design
    • Volar and dorsal locking plate designs

    18 slides

  3. 03

    How the distal radius breaks

    • Wrist position at impact decides the pattern
    • From simple to devastating injuries

    2 slides

  4. 04

    Naming and classifying the fractures

    • The classic eponyms still heard in the clinic
    • Classic eponymous distal radius fractures
    • The Fernandez classification: sorted by mechanism
    • Fernandez classification of distal radius fractures
    • The AO classification: a detailed three-type grid
    • AO classification of the distal radius at a glance
    • AO classification of distal radius fractures

    7 slides

  5. 05

    Assessing the injured wrist

    • Clinical assessment at the bedside
    • The workhorse: wrist X-rays and the 10-degree view
    • The 10-degree lateral wrist projection
    • Carpal facet horizon and teardrop angle
    • Carpal facet horizon and teardrop angle
    • Concentricity, AP distance and DRUJ checks
    • Joint concentricity, AP distance and DRUJ assessment
    • When plain films are not enough: CT and MRI

    8 slides

  6. 06

    Conservative treatment

    • When plaster is enough
    • The reduction targets that must be met
    • Signs the reduction will not hold in plaster
    • Casting, follow-up and the danger of early slippage

    4 slides

  7. 07

    Surgical indications and goals

    • Matching the operation to the Fernandez type (I-III)
    • Fernandez types IV and V, and the purpose of surgery

    2 slides

  8. 08

    Percutaneous pinning

    • Percutaneous pinning: the idea and the setup
    • The pinning technique, step by step
    • Percutaneous (Kapandji) pinning of a Colles fracture
    • Aftercare, tips and pitfalls of pinning
    • Pinning plus external fixation, case example

    5 slides

  9. 09

    External fixation

    • Cross-articular external fixation: the setup
    • Positioning for external fixation
    • Placing the metacarpal (hand-side) screws
    • Metacarpal Schanz screw placement
    • Placing the radial (forearm-side) screws
    • Radial shaft Schanz screw placement
    • Reduction, fixation and avoiding over-distraction
    • Reduction and locking of the external fixator
    • Over-distraction causing a metacarpal fracture
    • Managing associated DRUJ and ulnar styloid injuries
    • Side bracket for a DRUJ separation
    • The non-bridging external fixator
    • Non-bridging external fixation technique
    • Bridging versus non-bridging external fixation

    14 slides

  10. 10

    Open reduction: palmar approach

    • Choosing the palmar or the dorsal approach
    • Palmar approach: positioning and incision
    • Palmar approach skin incision
    • Palmar approach: reaching the bone
    • Palmar surgical approach to the distal radius
    • Mild dorsal angle, no dorsal compression
    • Volar plating of a simple extra-articular fracture
    • Mild dorsal angle with dorsal compression
    • Locking plate for a defective dorsal fragment
    • Correcting a dorsal angle over 15 degrees
    • Correcting dorsal angulation with a volar plate
    • Intra-articular fractures: fixing the radial styloid
    • Radial styloid and volar lip mechanics
    • Fixing the dorsal and palmar lip fragments
    • Comminuted intra-articular fracture, plate fixation
    • Screw position, bone graft and closure
    • Treating an associated ulnar styloid fracture
    • Distal radius fracture with ulnar styloid base fracture
    • Postoperative care and volar-approach pearls

    19 slides

  11. 11

    Open reduction: the dorsal approach

    • The dorsal approach: when and where
    • Dorsal approach skin incision
    • Working through the extensor compartments
    • Dorsal approach through the extensor compartments
    • Dorsal dual-plate fixation
    • Dorsal dual-plate fixation technique
    • Dorsal dual-plate fixation, case example

    7 slides

  12. 12

    Complications and their prevention

    • Malunion: causes and how fixation choice prevents it
    • Comminuted fracture where external fixation lost length
    • Protecting the median nerve and tendons
    • Dorsal tendon injury from prominent screws
    • Dorsal screw protrusion despite a normal lateral view
    • Screws straying into the distal radioulnar joint
    • A screw straying into the distal radioulnar joint

    7 slides

  13. 13

    Bringing it together

    • Numbers worth remembering
    • Three principles to remember
    • Final takeaways
    • References (1/3)
    • References (2/3)
    • References (3/3)
    • Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery — Volume 1: Upper Extremity

    7 slides