Hospital-Based Epidemiological Study of Distal Radius Fractures at a Hand and Microsurgery Unit in Malaysia

OBJECTIVE: Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are the most common upper limb fractures in clinical practice. Due to the absence of a formal national registry describing the characteristics of DRFs in Southeast Asia, this study aims to provide hospital-based epidemiological data to bridge this gap in the literature.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in the Hand and Microsurgery Unit of Hospital Selayang, Batu Caves, Malaysia, which included all patients who sustained non-pathological DRFs over 24 months, from 01 January 2022 to 31 December 2023. Medical records were analyzed in terms of detailed demographic data, fracture characteristics, and mode of treatment.

RESULTS: Over the two-year study period, we identified 446 patients with DRF, totaling 450 DRFs (four patients had bilateral injuries). Male patients outnumbered female patients 114 (64%) to 63 (36%) in 2022 and 145 (54%) to 124 (46%) in 2023. The mean age of patients was significantly higher in 2023 compared to 2022 (54.51 ± 22.20 vs. 45.25 ± 23.64 years, respectively; p < 0.0001). The most common fracture type was type A, based on the Orthopaedic Trauma Association(OTA) classification, accounting for 83.6% of cases in 2022 and 87.4% of cases in 2023. In terms of treatment, most DRFs were treated conservatively as opposed to operatively (77.4% vs. 71.3%), with plate fixation being the most common operative intervention, accounting for 57.5% of cases in 2022 and 73.3% of cases in 2023.

CONCLUSION: The incidence of DRF was higher among male patients than among female patients in our study population, with an increasing annual trend. Most cases were the result of low-impact trauma and were closed fractures that were conservatively managed.