Dorsally displaced fractures of the distal radius: a critical appraisal of the DRAFFT (distal radius acute fracture fixation trial) study.

The results of the DRAFFT (distal radius acute fracture fixation trial) study, which compared volar plating with Kirschner (K-) wire fixation for dorsally displaced fractures of the distal radius, were published in August 2014. The use of K-wires to treat these fractures is now increasing, with a concomitant decline in the use of volar locking plates. We provide a critical appraisal of the DRAFFT study and question whether surgeons have been unduly influenced by its headline conclusions.