Clinical effect of modified Henry approach in treating AO type B and C distal radius fractures

Abstract

To investigate the clinical effect in treating AO type B and C distal radius fractures with modified Henry approach. Retrospectively analysis of 20 patients with AO type B and C distal radius fractures between June 2021 and May 2022, they were treated by modified Henry approach. There were 6 males and 14 females, aged from 35 to 78 years old, 8 patients on the left and 12 on the right. The patients' general data, fracture healing time, postoperative complications, last-time follow up radiographic parameters(volar inclination angle, ulnar deviation angle and radius height), wrist range of motion, range of forearm rotation and functional outcoming of the wrist joint according to Mayo scoring were observed of each patient. All patients were followed-up, the time was (13.3±2.3) months, ranged from 12 to 18 months. All the fractures were healed, the fracture healing time was (12.6±2.5) weeks, ranged from 10 to 16 weeks. There were no complications such as poor wound healing, incision infection, iatrogenic median nerve injury, delayed union, nonunion and malunion during the postoperative follow up. According to the X-ray measurement in the last-time follow up, the volar inclination angle was (11.4±4.0) °, the ulnar deviation angle was (20.9±2.2) ° and the radius height was (10.3±1.2) mm. The wrist range of motion was (65.3±5.8) ° for volar flexion, (60.2±4.2) ° for dorsal extension, (37.8±4.1) ° for ulnar deviation, (27.0±3.7) ° for radial deviation. The range of forearm rotation was(80.4±4.1) ° for pronation, (78.6±3.7) ° for supination. According to Mayo scoring, the wrist function was evaluated as excellent in 12 cases, good in 6 cases and fair in 2 cases, the excellent and good rate was 90%. Modified Henry approach can better expose the ulnar and volar fragments in distal radius, especially useful for reducting the distal radius with complex bi-columnar fractures.