[Treatment of Barton fractures with external fixation with paper splints].
OBJECTIVE
To study the control of instability of paper splints for the treatment of Barton fractures.


METHODS
From 1998 to 2007, 30 patients with Barton fractures were treated with manual reduction and external fixation with paper splints. Among the patients, 20 patients were male and 10 patients were female, ranging in age from 20 to 68 years, averaged 45.3 years. The course of the disease ranged from 1 to 15 hours, with a mean of 4.2 h. All the patients had a history of trauma. The X-rays showed palm-side distal radius fractures, fractured fragments displacing toward proximal palm and the radius bone sudislocating toward the palm. Anderson assessment method was adopted.


RESULTS
All the patients were followed up ranging from 0.5 to 2 years (12.3 months on average). When clinical healing, the X-ray showed good position in 26 cases, and the fractured fragments on the palm side displaced 1 to 2.5 mm toward palm in 4 cases. Final results : the motion range and function of wrist and forearm recovered completely in 24 patients; the motion range and function of wrist and forearm were limited slightly without hindering daily life in 6 patients. According to Anderson assessment method, 24 patients got an excellent result and 6 good.


CONCLUSIONS
This fixation method possesed such advantages as improving hematoma absorption, reinforcing fixation on the basis of original fixation at any time without pressure sore and necrosis, safe and effective.
Zhao
Xing-Wei
XW
The Fengsheng Orthopaedics and Trauma Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
Wang
Hong-Jie
HJ
Zhang
Li-Qiang
LQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult