Clinical Studies

Brooks, MD; Capo, MD; Warburton, MD; and Tan, MD.
“Internal Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures with Novel Intramedullary Implants.”
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (CORR).
April 2006.

Summary: Twenty-three patients were prospectively analyzed with a mean age of 59 years. At 6 months, flexion/extension averaged 58° and 73°; supination/pronation averaged 78° and 87°; grip strength averaged 80% of the uninjured side and the DASH score averaged 8. Based on these results, the authors’ conclude that this technology “allows early wrist ROM and patient satisfaction” while making “hardware prominence and tendon complications negligible.”


Tan, MD; Capo, MD; and Warburton, MD.
“Distal Radius Fracture Fixation with an Intramedullary Nail.”
Techniques in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.
December 2005.

Summary: The authors conclude that “the limited surgical dissection and rigid fracture fixation allow for minimal postoperative immobilization”. “This system is a valuable addition to the arsenal of distal radius fracture treatment options.”


“New medullary nail system effective for distal radius fractures.”
Orthopedics Today.
November 2005.

Summary: “By residing in the medullary canal, the MICRONAIL can significantly reduce soft tissue complications, and additionally function in a load-sharing mode to better resist bending.”


“A Novel Technique – Physicians discuss minimally invasive distal radius fracture fixation with an intramedullary nail.”
Orthopedic Technology Review.
Sept/Oct 2005.

Summary: “A dramatic decrease in morbidity rate is expected.”


“MICRONAIL Intramedullary Radius Fixation.”
Orthopaedic Product News.
May/June 2006.

Summary: “Preliminary clinical results show faster return of wrist function compared to previously published studies on conventional plating.”


“Handy Alternative for Wrist Fracture Patients.”
The Star Ledger.
September 15, 2004.

Summary: “The MICRONAIL enables patients to utilize the wrist in just one to two weeks, versus severely restricted mobility in a hard cast for six to eight weeks.”


Rozental, MD and Blazar, MD.
“Functional Outcome and Complications After Volar Plating for Dorsally Displaced, Unstable Fractures of the Distal Radius.”
The Journal of Hand Surgery.
March 2006.

Summary: Patients with unstable, dorsally displaced fractures of the distal radius treated with volar fixed-angle devices have good or excellent functional outcomes despite a high complication rate (22% including fracture collapse and hardware-related soft tissue irritation).


Chung, MD et al.
“A Meta-Analysis of Outcomes of External Fixation Versus Plate Osteosynthesis for Unstable Distal Radius Fractures.”
The Journal of Hand Surgery.
November 2005.

Summary: Forty-six articles reporting the outcomes of current internal and external fixation treatments for unstable distal radius fractures were statistically analyzed. The authors concluded they “did not detect clinically or statistically significant differences in pooled grip strength, wrist range of motion, radiographic alignment, pain and physician-rated outcomes.”


S. A. Earnshaw, DM, FRCS; A. Aladin, MRCS; S. Surendran, FRCS; and C.G. Moran, MD, FRCS.
“Closed Reduction of Colles Fractures: Comparison of Manual Manipulation and Finger-Trap Traction: A Prospective, Randomized Study”
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery America(JBJS)
March, 2002.

Summary: In a study of 223 patients with displaced Colles fractures who were treated with closed reduction and then casted, 68-73% of the reductions failed by 5 weeks.