Opportunities of preservation of the forearm pronator with the surgical treatment of fractures of the distal radius bone

Over the last decades, we have observed a dramatic increase in the surgical management of distal radius fractures. Volar locking plating of distal radius fracture is a method of treatment which has become increasingly popular recently. In the standard volar approach to the distal radius, the release of m.pronator quadratus at its radial insertion may compromise this muscle’s function, blood supply to fracture fragments and, hence, affect recovery. The pronator-sparing technique spares division of the m.pronator quadratus at its radial border and utilizes subperiosteal dissection of this muscle. We report our technique for pronator-sparing surgical approach for the treatment of distal radius fractures using volar locking plates.