The role of bone graft and alternatives in unstable distal radius fracture treatment.

The increased prevalence of unstable fractures of the distal radius has stimulated the development of new technologies and new surgical techniques for treating these complex injuries. New developments also contribute to the expectation that orthopedic surgeons should be able to treat the fractured distal radius more successfully by achieving early stability, early function, and better outcomes. The continuous introduction of commercial bone graft substitutes and graft extenders has provided a large array of implantable materials. Rigorous comparison of the commercially available bone graft substitutes is difficult not only because of their diversity but also because uniformly accepted preclinical assays and comparable clinical studies have not been performed. Despite the lack of complete data, however, available data and collective experience suggest that bone graft substitutes can provide improved treatment methods and outcomes.