Factors influencing functioning after volar locking plate fixation of distal radius fractures: a scoping review of 148 studies

Background and purpose - A better understanding of factors that influence functioning may improve the identi-fication of patients with distal radius fractures (DRFs) who need hand therapy. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive overview of factors that have been evaluated for their influence on hand functioning fol-lowing volar plate fixation of DRFs.Material and methods - 6 databases were searched from 2005 to 2021 for publications regarding surgical treat-ment for a DRF with a volar locking plate. Included stud-ies evaluated demographic, perioperative, and postoperative factors within the 6 weeks post-surgery for their influence on functioning at least 3 months post-surgery. Functioning was assessed with patient-reported outcome measures. The fac-tors were categorized into themes and mapped to the Inter-national Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).Results - 148 studies were included. 708 factors were categorized into 39 themes (e.g. pain) and mapped to the ICF components. The themes were primarily mapped to "body functions and structures" (n = 26) and rarely to "activities and participation" (n = 5). Fracture type (n = 40), age (n = 38), and sex (n = 22) were the most frequently evaluated factors.Conclusion - This scoping review identified an exten-sive number of fac tors evaluated within 6 weeks after sur-gery for their influ ence on functioning at least 3 months after volar plate fixa tion of a DRF and the existing research has primarily evaluated factors related to "body functions and structures," with limited focus on factors related to "activi-ties and participation."