Q: What fracture is present?
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A: Fracture through the radial styloid with intra-articular involvement.
Q: What names do you know for this fracture?
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A: This is most commonly referred to as a chauffeur fracture but is also known as Hutchinson fracture, backfire fracture or lorry driver fracture.
Q: Why the term chauffeur?
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A: Trying to start an old-fashioned car with a hand crank sometimes resulted in the crank rapidly spinning backwards (backfire) out of the driver's grasp and striking the back of the wrist.
Q: What injuries are frequently associated with this fracture?
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A: Scapholunate dissociation (this is especially true when the fracture line involves the articlular surface near the scapholunate interval); trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation; ulnar styloid fracture.
Q: Do you know the Frykman classification system for distal radial fractures (trust me, it's ok if you don't). If you do, what type do chauffeur fractures fall into?
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A: Type III, and type IV if an ulnar styloid fracture is also present.
Q: How are these fractures usually treated?
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A: Although these fractures are often undisplaced, they are relatively unstable and often benefit from percutaneous lag-screw fixation.