[Intra-articular fracture of the distal radius: results following osteosynthesis with a support plate].

The treatment of comminuted intra-articular fractures of the distal radius often requires an operative fixation. Beside the recently recommended external fixator, the support plate fixation offers a helpful alternative to treatment. Between 1980 and 1986, 30 wrists in 29 patients with intra-articular fractures of the distal radius were stabilized with a buttress plate an the Kantonsspital Chur, Switzerland. The mean follow-up-time was 15 months. These follow-ups showed that the buttress plate in treatment of complicated intra-articular fractures allows a satisfactory reduction and stabilization with restoration of the articular congruity and the possibility for early active assisted motion. Buttress plate fixation still remains a demanding technique, which in complicated cases, should be reserved for the experienced surgeon.