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Objective: To investigate the effect of U-shaped gypsum functional fixation after closed manipulative reduction for treatment of Colles' fractures., Methods: From January 2011 to April 2014,47 cases of Colles fracture were treated by closed reduction and U-shaped gypsum functional fixation including 12 males and 35 females with an average age of 54.8 years old ranging from 8 to 72 years old. The time from injury to treatment was 40 min to 3 d. The patients were closed fractures without neurovascular injury. After manual reduction and U-shaped gypsum functional fixation, the thumb of injury hand were traction by contralateral hand, and other fingers of injury hand were taken flexion to exercise grip function. According to the situation of fracture healing, plaster was removed at 4 to 8 weeks' fixation, the wrist joint functional exercise was strengthened after plaster removed., Results: All patients were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of 6.4 months, the fracture healing time was 4 to 8 weeks. According to the Cooney wrist function scoring: the result was excellent in 44 cases, good in 2 cases, 1 case., Conclusion: U-shape gypsum functional fixation for treatment of Colles fracture limits the activity of thumb and extensor tendon, can reduce shortening of radial by traction of the injury thumb with the contralateral hand; it is good for blood circulation of hand and wrist, and swelling.

In this article, the author explains how to identify a Colles' type fracture, explains how to insert a haematoma block, and gives a step by step guide to reducing this type of fracture.

Ninety-two patients with displaced Colles' fractures were followed prospectively after manipulation under regional anaesthesia. Radiographs were taken before and after manipulation and after 3 months when a functional assessment was also made. A correlation was sought between outcome and radiological measurements. Final radial shortening of 3mm or more was associated with a significantly worse functional outcome after 3 months (P < 0.001). Where the initial radial shortening was 3 mm or more, the probability of malunion was 65% whereas with less than 3mm, the probability of malunion was 28% (P < 0.001). With 5 mm or more of radial shortening at presentation, the probability of malunion was 73% (P < 0.01). The decision to manipulate remains a matter of judgement but a high failure rate renders simple manipulation and plaster cast fixation a poor treatment option in fractures with 5mm or more of radial shortening at presentation.

Background: An optimal outcome of closed treatment of a Colles fracture may depend on accurate reduction and adequate immobilization. It has been suggested that the use of finger-trap traction results in a better reduction and a lower rate of redisplacement than manual manipulation does, but to our knowledge these concepts have never been evaluated scientifically. We compared these two methods in a prospective, randomized controlled trial., Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three patients with 225 displaced Colles-type fractures were randomized to treatment with closed reduction with either finger-trap traction (112 patients) or manual manipulation (111 patients). The fractures were assessed radiographically by measurement of the radial angle, dorsal tilt, and radial shortening before reduction, immediately after reduction, and at one and five weeks after reduction., Results: The groups were comparable with regard to age, sex, side of injury, fracture grade, and amount of displacement at presentation. No significant differences were found between the alignment of the fractures in the two treatment groups at any time. With dorsal tilt of <10 degrees and radial shortening of <5 mm considered acceptable, the two techniques both produced an 87% rate of satisfactory reductions. However, the percentages of fractures in an acceptable alignment were only 57% and 50% at one week after finger-trap traction and manual manipulation, respectively, and only 27% and 32% at five weeks. The failure rates did not differ significantly between the two groups., Conclusions: The two methods of fracture reduction did not differ with regard to the eventual position of the fracture or the rate of failure. Although closed reduction was successful for the majority of fractures, most redisplaced substantially during the period of cast immobilization.

Thirty elderly patients with moderately displaced Colles' fractures were randomly assigned to manipulation under Bier's block or plaster immobilization alone. Moderately displaced was defined as 10 degrees to 30 degrees of dorsal angulation and less than 5 mm of radial shortening compared with the uninjured side. The groups were well matched for age, sex, fracture type and displacement; immobilization time and rehabilitation were standardized. The outcome measures were: radiological position at union, the functional score of Gartland and Werley, grip strength, cosmesis and algodystrophy assessment. There was no detectable difference between the groups in any of the outcome measures. Two-thirds of the correction of dorsal angulation achieved by manipulation was lost by 5 weeks. We conclude that up to 30 degrees of dorsal angulation and 5 mm of radial shortening may be accepted in selected elderly patients.

In a prospective randomized study of 99 displaced Colles' fractures, regional intravenous block was compared with local anesthesia in the fracture hematoma. Patients treated with regional intravenous block had less pain during the manipulation of the fracture and better grip strength at the 6-month follow-up. The anatomic end result (dorsal angulation) was better after regional anesthesia.

A trial comparing the use of Bier's block and the direct infiltration of the fracture site with local anaesthetic was carried out to assess their effectiveness in the reduction of Colles' fracture. This showed Bier's block to be superior in terms of patient acceptability and in ease of reduction. The results of the reduction were also significantly better using the Bier's block, as judged by the measurement of the residual displacement on the X-ray.

The value of remanipulating a Colles' fracture which has redisplaced after primary reduction was assessed in 50 patients. In those over 60 years old, remanipulation failed to achieve a lasting improvement in position, while the majority of those under 60 years maintained a significant improvement in dorsal angulation. It is concluded that the elderly patient does not benefit from this procedure.

Two techniques for reduction of Colles' fractures were compared in a prospective, randomized study. With use of a newly designed dynamic bone alignment device, reduction manoeuvres were performed on 62 patients with Colles' fractures (group A) without any form of anaesthesia. In a control group of 54 patients (group B) Colles' fractures were reduced manually in the traditional way using local infiltration anaesthesia. In each group the pain experienced by the patients was recorded. Severe pain during the reduction was reported by 8 per cent of the patients in group A and by 35 per cent of those in group B. No complications occurred during or after dynamic reduction without anaesthesia. This method of treatment seems to be a very gentle one for the patients, with the advantage of causing less pain than treatment under local anaesthesia.

To investigate whether or not injection of local anesthetic into the fracture hematoma on reduction of a Colles' fracture increases the risk of neurological complications, a prospective randomized trial was conducted. The outcome in 62 patients whose Colles' fractures were reduced in a new bone-alignment device without anesthesia was compared with that in 54 patients with Colles' fractures that were reduced manually after injection of local anesthetic. At follow-up, any symptoms and signs of nerve damage were recorded. Four cases of such damage were noted in the group treated without local anesthesia, as opposed to 14 in the group in which a local anesthetic was used. The difference is significant (p less than 0.01). The authors have previously shown that injection of local anesthetic into the hematoma of Colles' fractures increases the carpal tunnel pressure. Neurological complications after the use of local anesthesia in reducing Colles' fractures is considered to be secondary to the scarring and fibrosis caused by this increase in pressure.

Nine patients undergoing manipulation of Colles' fractures with varying doses of local anaesthetic injected into the fracture haematoma, were investigated by monitoring the arterial levels of lignocaine. Although the procedure was considered satisfactory by all patients, potentially toxic concentrations of lignocaine were found in the arterial circulation, reaching a maximum after manipulation of the fracture. A mean peak level of 2625 micrograms/l was found when 10 ml of 2 per cent lignocaine was used and a mean peak level of 846 micrograms/l in patients receiving 10 ml of 1 per cent lignocaine.