title: Casting versus percutaneous pinning for extra-articular fractures of the distal radius in an elderly Chinese population: a prospective randomised controlled trial.
abstract: We carried out a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial to compare the functional and radiological outcomes of casting with percutaneous pinning in treating extra-articular distal radial fracture in an elderly Chinese population. Sixty patients were randomly allocated by sealed envelopes to either a 'Cast' group (n = 30) or a 'K-wire' group (n = 30). All patients were available for final follow-up assessment. The radiological outcomes in terms of dorsal angulation, radial inclination and radial length were statistically significantly better in the K-wire group, whereas the Mayo wrist score and quality of life, healing rate, healing time, and complications were similar. The functional outcomes and quality of life were not affected by the treatments. Both treatments had a very low rate of complication and high healing rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. tedwong2@i-cable.com
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001864:Bone Wires; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011859:Radiography; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000503:physiopathology