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Rapid response to:

Research

Surgical fixation with K-wires versus casting in adults with fracture of distal radius: DRAFFT2 multicentre randomised clinical trial

BMJ 2022; 376 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068041 (Published 19 January 2022) Cite this as: BMJ 2022;376:e068041

Rapid Response:

Pictures speaking louder than words

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing this important article which I read with great interest. I had the benefit of reading it in the print journal which was a nice bite-size summary before reading the full manuscript. I was, however, rather confused by the accompanying image showing an upside-down radiograph of a surgically fixed scaphoid with a trans-carpal k-wire most likely due to a trans-scaphoid peri-lunate fracture dislocation. The article was about casting versus k-wires and casts in dorsally displaced distal radius fractures and not major carpal trauma. This is quite confusing for the readership and detracts from the authors valid conclusions. I would recommend either using appropriate images or tables/figures from the paper instead.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel A Shaerf
Consultant Hand & Wrist Surgeon
London

Competing interests: No competing interests

24 January 2022
Daniel A Shaerf
Consultant Hand & Wrist Surgeon
London North West Healthcare University NHS Trust