Patient satisfaction after treatment of distal radial fractures in older adults

The Wrist and Radius Injury Surgical Trial (WRIST) collaboration is the largest clinical trial ever conducted in hand surgery. We applied data from this study to examine the relationship between functional outcomes and patient satisfaction after treatment of distal radial fractures. Patients aged 60 years and older with isolated distal radial fractures were enrolled at 24 health systems. Grip strength and the arc of wrist motion were measured after treatment. The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire was used to measure patient satisfaction. Receiver operating characteristic curves were created using patient satisfaction as the reference standard and each functional measure as a predictor. At 12 months after treatment, mean grip strength was 82% of normal and mean arc of motion was 88% of normal. The optimal cut-off points to distinguish satisfaction from dissatisfaction occurred when patients recovered 59% of hand strength and 79% of wrist motion. Continuing therapy to increase functional gains beyond this point unnecessarily utilizes healthcare resources without additional patient-reported gains. Level of evidence: IV.