title: Incidence of extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture after nondisplaced distal radius fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon rupture in the setting of nondisplaced distal radius fractures is unknown. Extensor pollicis longus rupture is a known complication after distal radius fractures and is believed to occur more frequently after minimally displaced and nondisplaced distal radius fractures. Our study sought to define the incidence of EPL tendon rupture after nondisplaced distal radius fractures presenting to a level 1 trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using our billing database, we identified distal radius fractures presenting to our institution between 2006 and 2009. We reviewed injury radiographs to identify fractures in which radiographic measurements were within predefined radiographic norms. Two fellowship-trained orthopedic hand surgeons, 1 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologist, and 1 senior orthopedic surgery resident then reviewed these fractures. Only those fractures thought by all 4 reviewers to be nondisplaced were classified as nondisplaced for the purposes of this study. We then reviewed charts of these nondisplaced fractures to identify patients who subsequently sustained an EPL tendon rupture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 3 EPL ruptures out of 61 nondisplaced fractures (5%). These occurred at an average of 6.6 weeks after distal radius fractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of EPL rupture is higher than previously reported in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic IV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Philip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Blazar
authors.forename: Brandon E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Earp
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012421:Rupture; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*