Controlling the Critical Corner – Daniel J. Brown – White Paper

Introduction:  This report details the author’s use of a 0.8 mm Avulsion Hook Plate (AHP) from the Acumed Hand Fracture System (Acumed LLC, Hillsboro, OR, USA) with a volar distal radius (VDR) plate from the Acumed Acu-Loc® 2 Wrist Plating System. Background: Distal radius fractures (DRF) are the commonest fractures that present to an emergency department (ED). The vast majority can be treated nonoperatively with simple splints or Plaster of Paris casts. With the introduction of locking plate technology at the turn of the millennium, there was a major shift toward the use of volar locking plates (VLP) and the development of anatomical plates, allowing this to become the standard operative treatment. While VLP remains the standard treatment for most fractures that require operative intervention, there are certain, more complex, fracture patterns that may be better treated with alternative methods.