This retrospective cohort study examines which Lafontaine instability criteria actually predict redisplacement in distal radius fractures managed by closed reduction and sugar-tong splinting. Fifty adults with ≥3 Lafontaine factors and an initially acceptable reduction were followed radiographically for 4 weeks to determine what drives secondary displacement.
When you see a distal radius fracture with multiple Lafontaine factors, don't let the checklist drive your surgical decision — use the patient's age.
A 45-year-old with an acceptable closed reduction has roughly a 1-in-4 chance of losing it; an 80-year-old has a 3-in-4 chance, and each week of maintained reduction narrows that window, giving you a rational framework for serial-film surveillance versus early OR.
This retrospective cohort study examines which Lafontaine instability criteria actually predict redisplacement in distal radius fractures managed by closed reduction and sugar-tong splinting. Fifty adults with ≥3 Lafontaine factors and an initially acceptable reduction were followed radiographically for 4 weeks to determine what drives secondary displacement.
When you see a distal radius fracture with multiple Lafontaine factors, don't let the checklist drive your surgical decision — use the patient's age.
A 45-year-old with an acceptable closed reduction has roughly a 1-in-4 chance of losing it; an 80-year-old has a 3-in-4 chance, and each week of maintained reduction narrows that window, giving you a rational framework for serial-film surveillance versus early OR.