Bilateral Wrist Fracture-Dislocation by Fall from Height : A Case Report

Kim,  Yong Min; Kim,  Dong Soo; Choi,  Eui Sung; Shon,  Hyun Chul; Park,  Kyung Jin; Cho,  Byung Ki; Lee,  Hyun Chul

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2009;14(1):36-41.
Published online March 1, 2009.

Yong Min Kim, Dong Soo Kim, Eui Sung Choi, Hyun Chul Shon, Kyung Jin Park, Byung Ki Cho, Hyun Chul Lee

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea. titanick25@yahoo.co.kr

Abstract

Wrist fracture-dislocation including perilunar injury is an uncommon high energy trauma, especially cases occurred simultaneously on bilateral wrist have been quite rarely reported in the orthopaedics literature. We encountered a case of open transtriquetral dorsal perilunar dislocation on right wrist and transstyloid dorsal dislocation on left wrist by fall from height. We performed open reduction and percutaneous K-wire fixation with interosseous ligament repair for both wrist. On the left wrist, flexion-extension arc, radio-ulnar deviation arc, grip strength were recovered satisfactorily at 1 year after the injury. On the radiographs, there were no intercarpal instabilities and scapholunate angles were within normal range. But clinical results on right wrist were dissatisfied by septic arthritis sequelae, and patient complained discomfort at motion. We report this unusual pattern of injury with review of the relevant literature