title: Fracture of the distal radius with radial artery injury: injury description and outcome of vascular repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ideal treatment of an isolated radial artery injury that is associated with a fracture of the distal radius is unknown. Our purposes were to assess the incidence of this injury pattern and to describe the outcomes of our treatment protocol. We hypothesised that combined routine repair of the artery during operative treatment results in a satisfactory outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study group consisted of 14 patients who were treated by one surgeon with a consistent treatment algorithm. The average follow-up duration was 52 weeks. Our control group consisted of 380 patients with fracture of the distal radius without radial artery injury, who were treated by the same surgeon during a 3-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a 2% incidence of isolated radial artery injury in patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the distal radius. Outcomes were comparable to those reported for operative treatment of fractures of the distal radius without radial artery injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our protocol resulted in adequate outcomes, a 71% patency rate (five of seven fractures with adequate vascular follow-up) and no evidence of symptoms related to a poorly perfused hand.
authors.affiliation: R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. rvo3@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Robert V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardcastle
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garapati
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Andrew Eglseder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*