Reconstruction procedures of distal radius fracture sequelae

More than 200 years have passed since Colles described a fracture of the distal end of the radius. It is remarkable that this common fracture remains one of the most challenging of fractures treated by orthopedic, general, and hand surgeons. Although the pendulum of evidence toward operative treatment in this enigmatic injury seems to be swinging back to a more conservative approach (due to a lack of evidence of functional outcome improvement in our patients), in recent years upper extremity specialists and hand surgeons are facing a range of complications, both from operative or nonoperative treatment. While malunion with (or without) functional impairment presents as the main complication after conservative treatment, there is a large variety of complications on display after operative treatment. In this review we focus on three facets of posttraumatic reconstruction after distal radius fractures, i. e., the correction of extra- and intra-articular malunion, resolving problems of the distal radioulnar joint, and the treatment of pain as major complaint (denervation vs. arthrodesis).