The Value Of Mri In The Preoperative Diagnosis Of Soft Tissue Injuries Associated With Distal Radius Fractures

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of MRI in the preoperative diagnosis of soft tissue injuries associated with distal radius fractures.Methods: 105 cases of patients with distal radius fractures who presented in our trauma center during 2013 and 2014 were include in this study. The patients were divided into groups based on AO classification, mechanisms of injury(High energy injury or Low energy injury), wheather it is combined with ulnar styloid base fracture and the age of the patients. All the patients were examined by 3.0T MRI to evaluate the rates of soft tissue injuries which required to repaire(triangular fibrocartilage complex( TFCC, Palmer Classification IB-ID),scapholunate ligament(SLIL, Geissler Classification Grade III-IV)and lunotriquetral ligament(LTIL, Geissler Classification Grade III-IV)). To make a correalation analysis for rates of soft tissure injuries between groups to estimate what kind of fractures had a high rates of soft tissue injuries, which required to examine by MRI preoperatively. Results: 16.19% of all cases associated with soft tissue injuries which required to repair. Among of them the rate of TFCC injury was 8.57%,SLIL was 7.62%,LTIL was 3.81%。Fracture of type C had a higer rates of soft tissue injuries rather than type A and there was a significant difference(P<0.05). The rates of soft tissue injuries was higer than 50% in fractures caused by high engery damage. There was significant difference in this group(P < 0.05). The base of ulnar styloid fracture which combined with distal radius fractues could significantly increase the incidence of TFCC injury(P < 0.05),but the effect on SLIL and LTIL damage with no statistical significance(P > 0.05). There was no obvious statistical difference in rates of soft tissue injuries between age groups(P >0.05). Conclusion: AO C type and unstable distal radius fractures, fractures caused byhigh energy injury and fractures combined with ulnar styloid base fracture has a high rates of severe soft tissue injuries. MRI has high application value in preoperative diagnosis of soft tissue injuries associated with these kinds of distal radius fractures. The preoperative MRI was advised to make for these kinds of distal radius fractures in order to make early intervention to the injured soft tissues associated with these patients.