Treatment of Forearm Bone Fractures by an Integrated Method of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Of 2221 forearm fractures (1300 left, 921 right) in adults (1167 men, 1043 women) treated from January, 1972, to December, 1982, 2117 were closed and 104 open fractures. The fractures are classified as follows: fracture of both radius and ulna, 1161 cases (52.3%); fracture of the ulna alone, 343 (15.4%); Monteggia fracture, 259 (11.7%); fracture of the radius alone, 222 (10%); and Galeazzi fracture, 236 (10.6%). For each type, the treatment consisted of closed reduction by manipulation, immobilization, and functional exercises. A total of 1054 cases of forearm fracture were followed for 0.5-6.5 years (average, 2.5 years). The results were excellent in 735 cases (69.7%); good, 153 (14.5%); fair, 79 (7.5%); and poor, 87 (8.3%). The time of bone union was from 21-258 days. Nonunion occurred in three cases. Anatomic observations were carried out in specimens of adult forearms, which showed that: the interosseous membrane is an important factor in maintaining the stability of the radius and ulna and is the anatomic basis for manipulative reduction by bone separation; the use of bone separator pads can maintain the normal tension of the interosseous membrane and the physiologic space between the radius and ulna. Stress analysis of the bone separator pads and splint immobilization suggests that treatment of forearm fracture by integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine is simple, economical, relatively painless, and effective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)