[Late sequelae of fractures of the distal third of the forearm during the growth period].

Fractures to the distal third of the forearm are the most common fractures of the upper extremity, with the majority occurring between the age of ten and 14 years. With the exception of the rare epiphyseal fractures, they have a favourable prognosis. The present study investigates the frequency and extent of potential clinical and radiological late sequelae of fractures in the distal third of the forearm during growth. Of the patients treated at the Innsbruck University Department of Traumatology from 1980 to 1992, 220 patients of a growing age with 232 closed fractures in the distal third of the forearm were followed up. The radius alone was affected in 60% of these cases; the radius and the ulna in 40%. Fractures of the ulna alone were not present. The mean age of the patients at the time of injury was nine years (range one to 16 years) and the mean time of follow-up ten years (range five to 16 years). In addition to the patient's subjective assessment, the right and left sides were compared with regard to mobility of the wrist and rotational movement of the forearm. Based on standard X-rays, the frontal (radio-ulnar) and lateral (dorso-palmar) radial joint angle as well as the difference in the radio-ulnar plane were compared with the contralateral side. Clinical and radiological findings were summarised into an overall result. 19% of the patients reported pain in the injured wrist. Mobility of the wrist in the sagittal and/or frontal plane was limited in 5% of patients and rotation of the forearm was limited in 16% of patients. A statistically significant accumulation of limited rotation was seen after physeal fractures of the ulna ("one-way" ANOVA-test, p = 0.0033). A difference between the left and right side in regard to the frontal radial joint angle was seen in 6% of patients and a difference in the lateral radial joint angle was registered in 2% of patients. A difference in the radio-ulnar plane was observed in 37% of patients. In the presence of relative ulna-plus variance, 75% of patients complained of pain in the ulnocarpal compartment of the wrist. In these patients, dynamic magnetic resonance tomography revealed a compression of the ulnocarpal disk between the proximal carpal bones and the head of the ulna, as well as degeneration in the central portion of the disk. The overall outcome was very good in 72%, good in 19%, moderate in 6% and poor in 3% of patients. The younger the children had been at the time of injury, the more favourable were the results (chi-square test, p = 0.009). Children older than ten years of age with an angulatory deformity of more than 20 degrees and/or fragment dislocation over half of the breadth of the shaft at fracture consolidation showed the poorest results. Further factors having a negative influence on the outcome were repeated reduction manoeuvres and an additional fracture of the ulna.