Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37689739›Full record

ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2023

Surgical options for distal radius fractures of type C in elderly patients over 65 years old: a comparison of external fixation with Kirschner wires and volar locking plate.

He Zhang, Man Liu, Si-Yu Duan, Hai-Rui Liang, Rong-Da Xu, Zhen-Cun Cai

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. [Poster Fusion Cage combined with xenogeneic bone graft augmentation for bone defect management in distal radius fractures].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

He ZhangDepartment of Orthopedics Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College, 5 Nanqi West Road, Shenyang, 110075, Liaoning, China.
Man LiuSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenyang Medical College, 146 Huanghe North Street, Shenyang, 110034, Liaoning, China.
Si-Yu DuanDepartment of Orthopedics Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College, 5 Nanqi West Road, Shenyang, 110075, Liaoning, China.
Hai-Rui LiangDepartment of Orthopedics Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College, 5 Nanqi West Road, Shenyang, 110075, Liaoning, China.
Rong-Da XuDepartment of Orthopedics Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College, 5 Nanqi West Road, Shenyang, 110075, Liaoning, China.
Zhen-Cun CaiDepartment of Orthopedics Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College, 5 Nanqi West Road, Shenyang, 110075, Liaoning, China. caizhencun@126.com.
Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College · CNShenyang Medical College · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundue to the lack of consensus on the optimal surgical treatment for distal radius fractures (DRF) in elderly patients over 65 years old, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of external fixation (EF) with Kirschner wires and volar locking plate (VLP) in the treatment of DRF through a retrospective cohort study. We hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in overall complications and functional recovery between the two methods.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 62 patients over 65 years old who underwent surgical treatment for C-type DRF between 2019 and 2022. Based on the different treatment methods, they were divided into the EF group and the VLP group. General data, inpatient data, and postoperative complications during follow-up were recorded. The X-ray images before surgery, after surgery, and at the last follow-up were analyzed, and the results of wrist motion range, Gartland-Werley wrist joint score, and DASH score were evaluated 6 months after surgery for both groups.

resultThirty patients underwent closed reduction and external fixation combined with Kirschner wire fixation, while 32 underwent open reduction and VLP fixation. The EF group had significantly shorter operation time, intraoperative blood loss, injury-to-surgery time, and hospital stay compared to the VLP group (all p < 0.001). At the last follow-up, the radiographic parameters (ulnar variance and radial inclination) and wrist joint function (wrist dorsiflexion and forearm supination) were better in the VLP group than in the EF group (p = 0.04, p = 0.01, p = 0.001, p = 0.02, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in overall Gartland-Werley wrist joint score, DASH score, and incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (p = 0.31, p = 0.25, p = 0.47, respectively).

conclusionFor patients aged 65 and above with distal radius fractures (DRF) of type C, VLP and external fixation with Kirschner wires yield comparable functional outcome and complications rate at the short term. However, VLP allowed restoration of better radiological parameters.

Indexed as

Bone WiresWrist FracturesAgedExternal FixatorsFracture FixationHumansPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesDistal radius fractureExternal fixationSurgical outcomeVolar locking plate

Identifiers

PMID37689739
PMCPMC10493013
OpenAlexW4386580426

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.