Distal radial fracture is one of the common clinical fractures, which often occur in elderly patients and are mainly closed fractures. However, open distal radial fracture is relatively rare. In recent years, traffic injuries are raising with the development of social economy in China, and as the power-assisted electric vehicle is popularized among the elderly in this region, the population of elderly open distal radial fractures grows. External fixators have been widely adopted for treatment of closed distal radial fractures in clinical practice, and achieved satisfactory clinical efficacy. The reports of external fixators in the treatment of open distal radial fractures are rare.

To explore the clinical efficacy of external fixators with Kirschner wires for treatment of open distal radial fracture in elderly patients.

From February 2018 to August 2019, 13 elderly patients with open distal radial fractures were treated with external fixators combined with Kirschner wires. The were 8 males and 5 females, and their ages ranged from 62 to 84 years (meanly 68.3 years) . There were 9 cases on the left side and 4 cases on the right side. According to Gustilo classification, there were 7 cases of type Ⅱ, 5 cases of type ⅢA and 1 case of type ⅢB.

All the patients were followed up for 6 to 15 months (meanly 10 months) . All fractures healed after an average time of 10.8 weeks (from 6 to 12 weeks) . The main complications were as follows: 3 cases (23.1%) had reduction loss, and improved after timely adjustment of their external fixators; 4 cases (30.1%) developed joint stiffness, and recovered after physical therapy; 2 (15.4%) cases had traumatic wrist arthritis, which improved after physical and drug therapy; 2 (15.4%) cases had pin site infection, and recovered after regular wound dressing. The wrist function restoration was assessed according to Gartland-Werley criteria. In the last follow-up, there were 5 excellent cases, 6 good cases, 2 moderate cases and no poor case, and the excellent and good rate was 84.6%.

External fixators with Kirschner wires for treatment of open distal radial fractures in elderly patients can obtain good clinical results, and deserves to be popularized clinically.