title: Radiocarpal articular pressures during the reduction of distal radius fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure in vivo radiocarpal articular pressures during closed reduction and external fixation of distal radius fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intraoperative measurements using a sterile pressure sensitive sensor specially constructed for this application.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with a closed distal radius fracture stabilized by radiometacarpal external fixation. Radiocarpal pressures measured during transarticular distraction, wrist palmar flexion, wrist ulnar inclination, and fracture reduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transarticular distraction resulted in a substantial decrease of the articular pressure, averaging -158.1 mmHg. Palmar flexion resulted in a mean pressure increase of 91.8 mmHg. The reduction of the fracture using a combination of distraction, palmar flexion and ulnar deviation resulted in either an increase or decrease of articular pressure, but always with a tendency toward progressive normalization of the pressure, with a mean slope of 3.2 mmHg/min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The phenomena leading to the reduction of distal radius fractures could be related in part to a decrease of the intraarticular pressure, which may be responsible for a suction effect on the intraarticular bone fragments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Cliniques Unviersitaires de Bruxelles, Université libre de Bruixelles, Hôpital Erasme, Belgium.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Schuind
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Cantraine
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fabeck
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burny
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D011884:Radius / Q000503:physiopathology; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*