The importance of the posteromedial fragment and its specific pinning in fractures of the distal radius.

In fractures of the lower end of the radius, the presence of a posteromedial fragment should be recognized if present. This fragment with two articular surfaces, if not reduced, will damage the radiocarpal and inferior radioulnar articulations. The diagnosis needs to be made on 3/4 X-ray views, as the fracture is often mistaken for a Colles' fracture. The author advises reduction and fixation by a method of double pinning. By comparing two sets of statistics, the overall results are shown to be improved without more complications.