Pilot Study: Predicting Early Recovery After Distal Radius Fixation

Status

Ongoing — pilot data collection phase. This summary describes the study design and rationale; results are not yet available and this page will be updated as findings mature.

Background

Recovery after distal radius fracture fixation varies considerably between patients with similar fracture patterns and fixation techniques. Identifying early predictors of a slower recovery trajectory could allow more targeted rehabilitation resourcing rather than a uniform follow-up schedule for every patient.

Design summary

• Population: Adult patients undergoing volar locking plate fixation for distal radius fracture at our centre, consenting to structured outcome tracking.
• Data collected: Standardised post-operative imaging at defined intervals, wrist range-of-motion and grip-strength measurements (including wearable-sensor-assisted measurement where available), and patient-reported outcome scores at 2, 6, 12 and 24 weeks.
• Objective: To assess whether early (2–6 week) motion and strength data correlate with functional outcome scores at 12–24 weeks, as a step toward a practical, early risk-stratification approach.

Why this matters

If early data can reliably flag patients on a slower trajectory, therapy resources and follow-up frequency could be directed where they add the most value — rather than applying the same protocol uniformly regardless of individual recovery pattern.

Participation and data use

All data is collected with informed consent and handled in de-identified form for analysis. Interested collaborators or patients wanting more information on study participation can reach out via the Contact page.