Conservative Treatment vs. Volar Plating of Distal Radius Fractures in Patients Aged Over 50 Years Old: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Volar plating has became as a standard approach for treating unstable distal radius fractures. The incidence of surgically treated patients with distal radius fractures has increased many fold from the beginning of this millennium, owing mostly to increased number of volar platings. The most striking increase of plate fixations has occurred in older patient groups, especially in females. With volar fixed-angle plate, very near-anatomic, stable fixation with relatively low complication rate, can be achieved even in osteoporotic bone. There are only few randomized, prospective studies comparing results of volar plating and conservative treatment, comparing patients aged over 65 years. Quite little is known of the results comparing conservative treatment and volar plating in patients aged below 65 years.

Main goal of our study was to compare the functional and radiological results of conservative treatment and volar fixed-angle plating in the management of distal radius fracture in patients aged over 50 years an older.