This is a plain-English translation of the academic paper above, prepared for patients, referring clinicians, and other non-specialist readers. It preserves the structure of the original paper while removing technical jargon. For the full clinical paper, follow the PubMed or DOI links.
What is this paper
A cadaveric anatomical study looking at how often a drill bit, when used to place screws into a plate on the front (volar) surface of a wrist fracture, comes through the back of the bone and risks injuring the third extensor compartment — the tunnel through which the long thumb-extending tendon (extensor pollicis longus) runs.
Why does it matter
Volar plating is now the standard operation for fixing distal radius fractures. Late rupture of the long thumb-extending tendon is one of its recognised complications, and it is thought to be caused by the drill bit or screw tip just breaking the back surface of the bone and irritating the tendon. Quantifying how often this happens helps guide safer operative technique. We have not been able to recover the structured abstract for this 2011 conference output, so a fuller plain-English summary is not provided here. The study is consistent in style with Professor Heidari’s other Graz-based cadaveric anatomy work from this period.
Source: Heidari N, et al. Frequency of third extensor compartment drill bit perforation in case of volar plating of radius fractures. 2011.
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