Patients with Colles' fractures have serious complications more frequently than is generally appreciated. A study of 565 fractures revealed 177 (31 per cent) with such complications as persistent neuropathies of the median, ulnar, or radial nerves (45 cases), radiocarpal or radio-ulnar arthrosis (37 cases), and malposition-malunion (30 cases). Other complications included tendon ruptures (7), unrecognized associated injuries (12), Volkmann's ischemia (4 cases), finger stiffness (9 cases), and shoulder-hand syndrome (20 cases). In many patients, incomplete restoration of radial length or secondary loss of the reduction position caused the complications.
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Patients with Colles' fractures have serious complications more frequently than is generally appreciated. A study of 565 fractures revealed 177 (31 per cent) with such complications as persistent neuropathies of the median, ulnar, or radial nerves (45 cases), radiocarpal or radio-ulnar arthrosis (37 cases), and malposition-malunion (30 cases). Other complications included tendon ruptures (7), unrecognized associated injuries (12), Volkmann's ischemia (4 cases), finger stiffness (9 cases), and shoulder-hand syndrome (20 cases). In many patients, incomplete restoration of radial length or secondary loss of the reduction position caused the complications.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.