BACKGROUND Common complication of Distal Radius fracture is ulnar sided pain. The simplest method for decreasing pain is corticosteroid injection. The present study was designed to assess the effect of corticosteroid injection in the prevention of ulnar sided wrist pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this clinical trial patients with distal radius fractures scheduled for closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation were divided into control and corticosteroid groups. In the corticosteroid group, the patient received a single Triamcinolone Acetate injection in the dorsoulnar side of the wrist before reduction, while the control group received placebo. The patients were to be followed for at least 6 months. RESULTS Eighty two patients were followed for 6 months. At the end of the 3 months follow-up, the difference between the two groups about the number of individuals without ulnar sided wrist pain was statistically significant (P=0.038), so that less patients in the control group were painless, while this was not the case in the 6 months follow-up (P= 0.507), but in the both time frames the mean grip power, visual analogue pain score and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score showed statistically significant difference between the two groups, so that the corticosteroid groups demonstrated greater power grip and less scores in pain and DASH (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Based on the findings of the present study it seems that prophylactic corticosteroid injection will be associated with a decrease in the severity of wrist pain in patients with acute distal radius fractures. With regard to the decrease in the number of painless individuals, it seems that the decrease is not persistent. Overall, the need for a study with longer follow-up is obvious.

BACKGROUNDMany implants and techniques are used for the treatment of transverse metacarpal and phalangeal fractures with varying grades of stability. Simple Kirschner (k) wiring does not provide adequate stability to allow early mobilisation of fingers. Lister described a combination of coronal interosseous wire and oblique K wire technique for phalangeal and metacarpal fracture fixation with a stable construct that allowed early mobilisation. Due to the fancied resemblance of this construct to the Greek alphabet theta, we have referred to this as theta fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODSTwenty-one patients with transverse metacarpal and proximal phalangeal shaft fractures were treated with theta fixation between January and June 2015. Outcome was analysed in terms of stability, early mobilisation, fracture healing and function of the hand. They were graded according to the Belsky score. RESULTSA 90% patients were graded excellent and 10% good with one having fair or poor results. All fractures allowed the mobilisation at a mean of 2.9 days and all healed at an average of 6.1 weeks. No loss of stability was seen on followup x-rays. All patients returned to their old profession. CONCLUSIONThe theta fixation technique is a safe, simple and effective method for transverse metacarpal and proximal phalangeal fractures with results comparable to other techniques. This method gives superior fracture stability to allow early mobilisation of joints and thus early return of function. It is also a cost effective way of management for the developing world.