Colles' fractures: the use of the metacarpal index as a prognostic indicator investigated.

The radiographs of 25 patients who presented to the Whittington Hospital with Colles' fractures were studied. Measurements of dorsal angulation and radial shortening were made on radiographs taken at presentation, following reduction (where performed) and 5 weeks after injury. The presence, and degree, of osteoporosis was assessed using the metacarpal index. There was a strong correlation between the degree of osteoporosis and age. There was no correlation between the degree of osteoporosis, as determined by the metacarpal index, and either the severity of the injury or the final result. Thus, the metacarpal index is not a useful prognostic indicator as to the radiological outcome of Colles' fractures. The single most important factor influencing the radiological result was the quality of the initial reduction.