Assessment of the Functional Outcomes of Isolated Fifth Metacarpal Fractures Treated by Antegrade Intramedullary K-Wiring

Background : Fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal is known as Boxer’s fractures; they are among the most common fractures of the hand. Despite the variety of conservative and surgical options available, no one technique has been established as the reference. Objective : To evaluate function...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBahrain medical bulletin Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 78 - 81
Main Authors Alwatari , Yahya A, Awad , Rashad K, Tarabichi , Majd, Al-Khalifa , Fahad K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Al Muharraq - Bahrain King Hamad University Hospital 01.06.2016
Subjects
BAHRAIN
FRACTURES
HANDS
LIMB BONES
ORTHOPAEDICS
PATIENTS
البحرين
الكسور
المرضى
اليدان
جراحة العظام
عظام الأطراف
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Summary:Background : Fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal is known as Boxer’s fractures; they are among the most common fractures of the hand. Despite the variety of conservative and surgical options available, no one technique has been established as the reference. Objective : To evaluate functional outcomes of isolated fifth metacarpal fractures treated by antegrade intramedullary K-wiring. Design : A Retrospective Review. Setting : Bahrain Defence Force Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain. Method : A retrospective review of patients who underwent surgical fixation of fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal using intramedullary K-wires inserted in an antegrade fashion treated from July 2007 to February 2013. Result : Twelve patients met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 34.5 months, a range of 23 to 56 months. The patients had a mean of 97.8% range of motion in the injured hand compared to the non-injured. They had a mean of 90.2% strength on the injured hand compared to the non-injured. Complex regional pain syndrome was documented in one patient. Radiographically, all patients showed full union on follow-up. Subjectively, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores had a mean of 1.08. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores had a mean of 6.9 and Steele scores had a mean of 378.5. Conclusion : Surgical fixation of Boxer’s fractures using intramedullary K-wires inserted in an antegrade fashion is an effective method of fixation.
ISSN:1012-8298
DOI:10.12816/0047591