Background: Distal articular radius fractures occur in general in patients at middle age and who are occupationally active. The objective is to evaluate the usefulness of arthroscopy assistance on the reduction and fixation with volar locking screw system in articular fractures of the distal radius in patients with workers compensation. Materials and methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of 53 patients with a mean age of 47.1 years (20-77 years) who underwent surgery in a period of 1 year. The mean age of the 37 patients in the control group was 46.1 years (20-64 years), and the mean age of the 16 patients in the arthroscopic assistance group was 49.5 years (28-77 years). The patients were matched according to several variables: age, sex, type of fracture (according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen [AO] classification), time between the accident and the surgery, number of reoperations and the time of labor reinsertion (discharge) quantify as days off with medical leave. Results: The groups were comparable because there were no significant differences in the variables studied. The mean age of the control group was 46.1 years and the arthroscopy group was 49.5 years (P = .3396, Student t test). Sex of control group was 22 males (59.5%) and 15 females (40.5%), and the arthroscopic group was 11 males (68.75%) and 5 females (31.25%), P =.522 (chi-square test). The type of fracture was B1-B2-C1-C2 and C-3. The arthroscopic group was type C1-C2-C3 (P = .738, chi-square test). The time to surgery in control group was 11.9 days and in the arthroscopic group 12.1 days (P = .9271, Student t test). Significant differences were shown in the time of labor reinsertion and in the numbers of reoperations. Time of labor reinsertion in the control group was 188.3 days (5.5 months) and in the arthroscopic group was 89.8 days (2.9 months), P = .00025, Student t test. The number of reoperations in the control groups was 13 (35.14%) and in the arthroscopic group was 1 (6.25%), P = .000, chi-square test. Conclusion: Patients with articular distal radius fractures with workers compensation treated with a volar locking screw plate system and arthroscopic assistance show less number of reoperation and less time to labor reinsertion compared with patients who underwent the same surgery without arthroscopic assistance.
