JAAOS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Am Acad Orthop Surg, Vol 16, No 11, November 2008, 647-655.
© 2008 the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ilyas, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Mudgal, C. S.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ilyas, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Mudgal, C. S.

Radiocarpal Fracture-dislocations

Asif M. Ilyas, MD and Chaitanya S. Mudgal, MD

Dr. Ilyas is Director, Temple Hand Center, and Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Mudgal is Instructor in Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

None of the following authors or a member of their immediate families has received anything of value from or owns stock in a commercial company or institution related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article: Dr. Ilyas and Dr. Mudgal.

Reprint requests: Dr. Mudgal, Yawkey Center, Suite 2100, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114.

Radiocarpal fracture-dislocations most often are caused by high-energy trauma. These difficult, uncommon injuries involve significant soft-tissue and osseous trauma, requiring meticulous reduction and fixation. The mechanism of injury is generally a severe shear or rotational insult. Anatomically, the dislocation results in disruption of the radiocarpal ligaments and, usually, both the radial and the ulnar styloid. Understanding the anatomy of the radiocarpal joint is central to understanding the osseous and soft-tissue constraints that are disrupted with a radiocarpal dislocation. Diagnosis can be reliably made on physical examination and radiographic evaluation. Radiocarpal fracture-dislocation injuries must be differentiated from Barton fractures. Associated injuries such as open fractures, neurovascular involvement, and distal radioulnar dislocations also must be taken into account. Closed reduction can be obtained relatively easily, but open reduction and internal fixation is typically necessary to ensure accurate anatomic restoration of injured bone and ligaments.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.