title: Correction osteotomy of distal radius malunion stabilised with dorsal locking plates without grafting.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of our correction osteotomies of distal radial malunions without a bone graft. Eleven consecutive patients (mean age 52 years, range 18-71) were treated. A dorsal approach was utilised to perform an opening-wedge osteotomy which then was stabilised with two dorsal columnar plates without filling the osteotomy gap. All patients went on to radiographic union with a filling of the osteotomy gap within a mean period of 3 months (range 2-6 months). All patients had satisfactory results in terms of function and pain. Correction osteotomy and stabilisation with bicolumnar locked plate fixation without a bone graft provides sufficient stability to allow the highly vascularised metaphysis to heal. In patients without risk factors predisposing to non-union, this procedure is safe and feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Trauma Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Postbus 90158, 4800 RK, Breda, The Netherlands, Davut.Tiren@gmail.com.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tiren
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Vos