Disorders of the distal radioulnar joint following fractures of the distal end of the radius

After a fracture of the distal radius, whether healed in an anatomic position or malunited, many patients complain about problems on the ulnar side of the wrist with pain and decreased range of forearm rotation. In addition many patients are unhappy with the unpleasant appearance of the wrist joint. The complaints are related to tears of the triangular fibrocartilaginous complex, instability, and/or incongruity of the distal radioulnar joint and degenerative changes. Malunion of the distal radius must be taken into account when discussing treatment options. The purpose of this paper is to describe a treatment algorithm with respect to the clinical symptoms, the pathology as well as the presence or absence of a deformity of the distal radius.