• Quentin W A Jeantet, Eamonn I Coveney, and Brendan J O'Daly.
• Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin 24, Republic of Ireland. quentinjeantet@rcsi.ie.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2021 Aug 1; 190 (3): 1041-1044.

IntroductionDistal radius fractures represent up to one in every sixth treated fracture. The majority of these are intra-articular and require operative management. Many recent studies advocate for the use of volar plating fixation. Following fixation, most patients attend the fracture clinic at 2 and 6 weeks post-operatively and may get repeat imaging at both visits, resulting in longer wait times and repeat exposure to radiation. Revision surgery is however rarely performed in the 2- to 6-week period, raising the question of the necessity of plain film at 2 weeks.AimImprove patient satisfaction in the fracture clinic by reducing wait time in fracture clinic and limiting exposure to radiation.MethodThe number of distal radius open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) over a 12-month period was retrieved using theatre logbooks. Patient details were used to check whether a plain film radiograph had been performed 2 weeks post-operatively. Subsequently, patients' records were used to determine if revision surgery was performed or planned.ResultsIn total, 123 distal radius ORIF were performed between January 2018 and January 2019. Two-week check radiographs were performed for 82 patients (67%). One patient (0.8%) underwent revision surgery following review of intra-operative imaging. No patients underwent revision ORIF following 2-week plain film.ConclusionRepeat imaging at 2 weeks following distal radius ORIF did not change management of distal radius fractures in this study. Therefore, our data suggests 2-week plain films should not routinely be ordered for these patients which will reduce wait time and exposure to radiation.© 2020. Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

13 keywords...

hide…