Table 4.
Relationship between malunion and the DASH score one year after distal radius fracture
| Variables | N (%) |
DASH score mean (SD) |
Adjusted mean Difference (95% CI)* |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorsal tilt | ||||
| > 10° | 24 (25) | 25.8 (18) | 10.5 (2.1-19.0) | 0.015 |
| ≤ 10° | 73 (75) | 16.7 (17) | ||
| Ulnar variance | ||||
| ≥ 1 mm | 66 (68) | 22.4 (18) | 8.7 (0.7-16.7) | 0.034 |
| ≤ 0 mm | 31 (32) | 11.6 (16) | ||
| Malunion†: | ||||
| No malunion | 27 (28) | 11.5 (17) | 17.3 (6.5-28.0) | 0.002 |
| Malunion I | 50 (51) | 19.1 (17) | 11.1 (1.9-20.3) | 0.019 |
| Malunion II | 20 (21) | 28.5 (19) | Referent |
*Analysis of covariance adjusting for age, sex and treatment method (adjustment for contralateral dorsal tilt and ulnar variance among the 89 patients with contralateral wrist radiographs gave similar results with slightly larger mean differences and lower p values)
†No malunion, dorsal tilt ≤ 10° and ulnar variance ≤ 0 mm; Malunion I, dorsal tilt > 10° or ulnar variance ≥ 1 mm; Malunion II (combined malunion), dorsal tilt > 10° and ulnar variance ≥ 1 mm