Skeletal transfixation in treatment of comminuted fractures of the distal end of the radius in the elderly.

Ninety-five patients (71 females and 24 males), average age, 69 years (35-92 years), with comminuted distal radial fractures were treated with transfixation wires (Kirschner wires) through the bases of metacarpals II-V and an above-elbow plaster cast. Two cases of early infections and four of Sudeck's dystrophy (4.2%) were encountered. Followup studies which lasted an average of 24 months (9-50 months) could be conducted on 77 patients. Using Sarmiento's ratings 27 patients fell into the very good category, 44, good, eight, fair, and two, poor. Although most of the cases were of the comminuted intra-articular fracture types, good results were achieved with this simple and quite straightforward method.