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Distal Radius Fracture Report

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Distal Radius Fractures (DRF) are common fractures encountered in orthopedics within the elderly. As reported by Koval and Zuckerman (1998) the elderly have an increased number of DRF for numerous reasons including the fragility of osteopenic bone, postmenopausal osteoporosis and as a result of low energy trauma including trips and falls. According to Tortora and Derrickson (2009) they are more common in women than men because women’s bones are smaller, and the production of hormones in women declines dramatically at menopause, whereas only slightly in men. A study by Sennwald (1987) reported that after the age of 50, more than 85% of DRF occur in women, likely attributable to the impact of osteoporosis. Approximately one in seven women …show more content…

Measurements were taken at 6 weeks after cast removal and a follow up at 24 weeks. The results illustrated that after cast removal patients require no more than a single session of advice and exercise provided by a physiotherapist.
Randomisation was via concealed envelopes to ensure treatment and control groups are comparable. As concealed randomisation occurred, the validity of the results is improved. Subjects were randomly allocated to the two study groups to ensure both groups were as similar as possible in all aspects, apart from the treatment. The two groups were similar at baseline, 6 and 24 weeks following cast removal in relation to age, gender, wrist injured immobilisation period and K-wire fixation. This is important for comparisons.
45 patients were deemed eligible for this study however 4 did not enter due to individual circumstances, therefore, the trail started with 41 patients. Only 24.4% of patients were male because DRF are more common in women than men, likely due to the fact that bone density decreases with age and women are more likely to be affected by osteoporosis than men due to natural hormonal changes.
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“Differences in sex hormone production – especially the abrupt decline of estrogen in women – are responsible for inter-gender differences in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis” (Pietschmann, Rauner et al, 2009)

35 patients completed the innervation and testing at 6 weeks. Out

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