Treatment of the Distal Radius Fractures in the Elderly Patients

Koh,  Young Do; Kim,  Dong Joon; Kim,  Jae Kwang

doi:2013.18.2.95

Arch Hand Microsurg > Volume 18(2); 2013 > Article

Review

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2013;18(2):95-102.
Published online June 30, 2013.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12790/jkssh.2013.18.2.95

Treatment of the Distal Radius Fractures in the Elderly Patients

Young Do Koh, Dong Joon Kim, Jae Kwang Kim

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kimjk@ewha.ac.kr

Received: 4 June 2013 • Revised: 6 June 2013 • Accepted: 6 June 2013

Abstract

Distal radius fractures are one of the most common types of fractures in the elderly. It is well documented that increased risk of a distal radius fracture in older patients is associated with decreased bone mineral density. Also, low bone mineral density increased severity of fracture and instability of fracture after reduction. Fracture displacement in the elderly does not necessarily result in functional impairment. Therefore, conservative treatment has been a mainstay treatment even in unstable fracture in the elderly. However, there is an increasing trend toward operative treatment recently, because functional demand increased in the elderly due to active life style and volar locking plate fixation enables the elderly early return to daily activity even in osteoporotic distal radius fracture.