ABSTRACT:
Aims and objectives: To compare functional outcome between external fixator and plating in intraarticular fracture distal radius .Inclusion criteria: All patients between 18-75 years age group and all patients having intraarticular fracture distal radius. Exclusion criteria: Open fractures, pathological fractures, age of patient < 18 yrs. Material and methods: A prospective study carried out on patients with intraarticular fractures of distal radius, at J.L.N. Medical College, Ajmer. out of 52 cases with avg. age 45 yrs( male 46 and female 6) 26 cases treated by ext. fix. (group a) and rest treated by plating (group b) . follow up of patient at regular interval for a period of 12 months. Final evaluation done according to modified green and o’brien criteria. Observation and results: In group a, 53.84% cases had excellent results against 80.76% of group b. in group a mean modified green-o’brien score 85.19 and in group b 90.76. in group a type b fracture pattern mean score 81.66 and in group b type b fracture pattern 98.12.in group a type c fracture pattern mean score 87 and in group b type c fracture pattern 79.in patients of type b fractures results are significantly better in patient treated with plating (p value-0.0001). But in patients of type c fractures results are significantly better in patient treated with external fixator (p value-0.0288). Over all patients of intraarticular fracture distal radius results significantly better in patients treated with plating than external fixator (p value-0.0323).11 complications seen in 7 patients (27%) treated with fixator and 9 complications seen in 6 patients (23.07%) treated with plating. Conclusion: In type b distal radius fracture outcome in patients treated with plating better then fixator and in type c distal radius fracture outcome in patient treated with fixator better compare to plating, but overall outcome in intraarticular fracture distal radius treated with plating better than fixator.