title: Assessment of complications of distal radius fractures and development of a complication checklist.
abstract: The purposes of this study were to determine the overall incidence of distal radius fracture (DRF) complications, determine the incidence and types of DRF complications in a consecutive cohort of 250 patients with DRFs, describe DRF complications reported by patients compared with those reported by physicians, and formulate a DRF complication checklist to improve recording of DRF complications. We found that the overall complication rates vary widely (6% to 80%). Physician-reported complication data were collected for 236 patients, and a physician-reported complication rate of 27% was determined. A patient-reported complication rate of 21% was found for 207 patients whose patient-reported data were collected. We also noted that patients and physicians assess DRF complications differently: patients are more focused on symptoms than diagnoses. A DRF complication checklist was developed to improve prospective data collection. The checklist includes a classification for all DRF complications and allows for assessment of severity of each complication.
authors.affiliation: Hand and Upper Limb Clinic, St Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: MacDermid
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000209:etiology