title: Pre- and postoperative complications of adult forearm fractures treated with plate fixation.
abstract: Adult forearm fractures account for 1-2% of all fractures of the limbs. The main objective of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate pre- and postoperative complications of forearm fractures. The secondary objective was to evaluate functional and radiological results of plate osteosynthesis for these fractures.
  
  
  
  Between January 2008 and March 2014, 131 forearm fractures were reviewed retrospectively. Fractures were classified preoperatively according to the AO classification. Clinical outcomes were classified into four categories according to the Tschnerne and Oestern classification. Pre- and postoperative complications were sought systematically.
  
  
  
  Before surgery, 12 patients had neurological impairment (9%). At the last follow-up, nine patients had persistent neurological disorders (6.9%). Union of forearm fractures was obtained in 122 patients at 4.6 months on average (±2.6). Nine patients with nonunion were observed (6.9%) and five patients had radioulnar synostosis (3.8%).
  
  
  
  The frequency of neurological complications concomitant to forearm fractures is noteworthy. Similar cases with essentially irritative neurological disease have been reported in the literature, in particular for the ulnar nerve. Fracture nonunion is a relatively common complication: between 2 and 10% of cases depending on the study.
  
  
  
  IV.
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, CHU de Limoges, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, France. Electronic address: psmarcheix@orange.fr.
authors: P-S
authors: PS
authors: Marcheix
authors: Département de chirurgie orthopédique et traumatologique, pôle institut locomoteur, hôpital Pierre-Paul-Riquet, place du Docteur-Baylac, TSA 40031, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Delclaux
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, hôpital de Hautepierre, CHU de Strasbourg, 1, avenue Molière, 67098 Strasbourg cedex, France.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ehlinger
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, hôpital de Hautepierre, CHU de Strasbourg, 1, avenue Molière, 67098 Strasbourg cedex, France.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Scheibling
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, CHU de Limoges, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, France.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Dalmay
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, CHU de Limoges, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, France.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hardy
authors: Service d'orthopédie-traumatologie, hôpital Nord Marseille, Marseille, France.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Lebaron
authors: Département de chirurgie orthopédique et traumatologique, pôle institut locomoteur, hôpital Pierre-Paul-Riquet, place du Docteur-Baylac, TSA 40031, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Bonnevialle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D017102:Fracture Healing; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011884:Radius / Q000002:abnormalities; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013580:Synostosis / Q000209:etiology; D014457:Ulna / Q000002:abnormalities
keywords: Complications; Forearm fracture; Iterative fractures; Neurological disorders; Nonunion; Synostosis