Article
Do post-operative radiographs change the management following internal fixation of distal radius fractures?
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Published: | February 6, 2020 |
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Objectives/Interrogation: The utility of obtaining routine post-operative radiographs following the internal fixation of distal radius fractures is poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether post-operative radiographs influence the current management of fractures of the distal radius following internal fixation.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients that underwent internal fixation of distal radius fractures over a five year period. We interrogated patient files to determine whether patients were returned to theatre on the basis of routine post-operative radiographs. A total of 543 procedures were performed with 1340 radiographs obtained on these patients over the ensuing six weeks.
Results and Conclusions: Of these patients only seven returned to theatre. All patients that returned to theatre were either symptomatic or had findings prompting revision that were also identifiable on intra-operative radiographs that had not been addressed intra-operatively.
The evidence did not support routine post-operative imaging following the internal fixation of distal radius fractures.