Background: Soft tissue injuries associated with distal radius fractures have been reported by some authors.\r\nArthroscopy can be used to evaluate the condition of the articular surface and intracarpal soft tissues and as an aid\r\nto treatment. There are three intracarpal soft tissues of particular importance: the triangular fibrocartilage complex\r\n(TFCC), the scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL), and the lunotriquetral interosseous ligament (LTIL). The\r\npurpose of this study was to evaluate intracarpal soft tissue injuries and their relationships with fracture types\r\nduring arthroscopic surgical treatment of distal radius fractures.\r\nMethods: Eighty-nine patients in our hospital underwent surgical treatment by arthroscopy for a fracture of the\r\ndistal end of the radius. They ranged in age from 17 to 92 years (mean, 62.2 years), and comprised 20 men (mean\r\nage, 45.6 years) and 69 women (mean age, 66.5 years). The AO classification data on plain radiographs indicated A2\r\nfracture in four patients, A3 fracture in 10 patients, C1 fracture in two patients, C2 fracture in 24 patients, and C3\r\nfracture in 49 patients. Wrist arthroscopy was performed with vertical traction, and intracarpal soft tissues were\r\nexamined. For assessment of the TFCC in the radiocarpal space, the Palmar classification was used. For assessment\r\nof the SLIL and LTIL in the midcarpal space, the Geissler classification was used.\r\nResults: TFCC injury was present in 59% of cases, SLIL injury in 54.5% of cases, and LTIL injury in 34.5% of cases.\r\nOnly 17.1% of patients (14/82 patients) were negative for all three types of injury. In 81% of cases (72/89 patients),\r\nsome intracarpal soft tissue injury was present in association with the fracture.\r\nConclusions: The fracture was complicated by TFCC injury in 59% of patients, SLIL injury in 54.5% of patients, and\r\nLTIL injury in 34.5% of patients, irrespective of the fracture type.
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