Abstract
Intraarticular fracture of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint presents complex problems related to the sophisticated functional aspects of the hand. Injury to the metacarpal head may have a severe effect on hand function but few studies have investigated the management of this condition. In this study, we applied open reduction and internal fixation for the displaced fracture of the metacarpal head and report the clinical and radiographic outcomes of our experience. Thirteen patients (12 men, 1 woman; mean age 21 years) were included in this study, and medical records and radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. The average follow-up period was 12.5 months. Range of motion (ROM) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores were analyzed, and functional results and serial radiographs were investigated for the maintenance of articular congruity and fracture union. The injured fingers were 5 long, 4 small, 2 ring, and 2 index. Five cases were fixed with K‑wires, 5 cases with headless screws, and 3 cases with screw and K‑wire. The average range of injured MP joint motion was 89°, total active range of motion (TAM) was 265°, and the average DASH score was 3.8 at the last follow-up. All patients showed fracture union on the radiographs and no patient showed significant articular surface incongruence or degenerative change. Open reduction and internal fixation of the metacarpal head fracture had favorable outcomes in our study. The authors suggest accurate reduction and stable fixation for better functional results in metacarpal head fractures.
Zusammenfassung
Bei der intraartikulären Fraktur des Metakarpophalangealgelenks treten komplexe Probleme auf, die auf die komplizierten funktionellen Aspekte der Hand zurückzuführen sind. Eine Verletzung des Mittelhandkopfes kann schwere Auswirkungen auf die Handfunktion haben, aber nur wenige Studien haben das Krankheitsmanagement für einen solchen Fall untersucht. In dieser Studie führten wir eine offene Reduktion und interne Fixation der dislozierten Mittelhandkopffraktur durch und berichten über die klinischen und radiologischen Ergebnisse aus eigener Erfahrung. Insgesamt 13 Patienten (12 Männer, 1 Frau; mittleres Alter: 21 Jahre) wurden in diese Studie eingeschlossen. Medizinische Befunde sowie Röntgenaufnahmen wurden retrospektiv bewertet. Der durchschnittliche Follow-up-Zeitraum betrug 12,5 Monate. Der Bewegungsumfang („range of motion“, ROM) und die DASH-Scores („disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand“) wurden analysiert. Funktionelle Ergebnisse und fortlaufende Röntgenaufnahmen wurden hinsichtlich der Erhaltung der artikulären Kongruenz und Frakturheilung untersucht. Bei den verletzten Fingern handelte es sich um 5 Mittelfinger, 4 kleine Finger, 2 Ringfinger und 2 Zeigefinger. In 5 Fällen wurde eine Fixation mittels K‑Drähten durchgeführt, in 5 Fällen mittels kopfloser Schrauben und in 3 Fällen mit Schraube und K‑Draht. Die mittlere Spannweite des Bewegungsumfangs eines verletzten Metakarpophalangealgelenks betrug 89°, die des gesamten aktiven Bewegungsumfangs 265° und der durchschnittliche DASH-Score lag bei 3,8 beim letzten Follow-up. Alle Patienten zeigten auf den Röntgenaufnahmen eine Frakturheilung. Kein Patient hatte eine signifikante artikuläre Oberflächeninkongruenz oder eine degenerative Veränderung. Die offene Reduktion und interne Fixation einer Mittelhandkopffraktur zeigte in unserer Studie gute Ergebnisse. Die Autoren empfehlen eine präzise Reduktion und stabile Fixation, um bei der Versorgung von Mittelhandkopffrakturen bessere funktionelle Ergebnisse zu erzielen.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Diao E (1997) Metacarpal fixation. Hand Clin 13(4):557–571
Langford MA, Cheung K, Li Z (2015) Percutaneous distraction pinning for metacarpophalangeal joint stabilization after blast or crush injuries of the hand. Clin Orthop Relat Res 473(9):2785–2789. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4233-x
Ford DJ, El-Hadidi S, Lunn PG, Burke FD (1987) Fractures of the metacarpals: treatment by A. O. screw and plate fixation. J Hand Surg Br 12(1):34–37
Sudhakar J, Smith A, Leslie I (1997) Late treatment of a displaced intraarticular metacarpal head fracture. J Hand Surg Eur Vol 22(5):672–673
Ouellette EA, Freeland AE (1996) Use of the minicondylar plate in metacarpal and phalangeal fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 327:38–46
Crawford G (1976) Screw fixation for certain fractures of the phalanges and metacarpals. J Bone Joint Surg 58(4):487–492
Dabezies EJ, Schutte JP (1986) Fixation of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures with miniature plates and screws. J Hand Surg Am 11(2):283–288
Mumtaz MU, Farooq MA, Rasool AA, Kawoosa AA, Badoo AR, Dhar SA (2010) Unstable metacarpal and phalangeal fractures: treatment by internal fixation using AO mini-fragment plates and screws. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg 16(4):334–338
Ford D, El-Hadidi S, Lunn P, Burke F (1987) Fractures of the phalanges: results of internal fixation using 1.5 and 2 mm AO screws. J Hand Surg Eur Vol 12(1):28–33
Basar H, Basar B, Basci O, Topkar OM, Erol B, Tetik C (2015) Comparison of treatment of oblique and spiral metacarpal and phalangeal fractures with mini plate plus screw or screw only. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 135(4):499–504. doi:10.1007/s00402-015-2164-3
Shah CM, Sommerkamp TG (2014) Fracture dislocation of the finger joints. J Hand Surg Am 39(4):792–802. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2013.10.001
Light TR, Bednar MS (1994) Management of intra-articular fractures of the metacarpophalangeal joint. Hand Clin 10(2):303–314
Hastings H 2nd, Carroll CT (1988) Treatment of closed articular fractures of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Hand Clin 4(3):503–527
Weiss AP, Hastings H 2nd (1993) Distal unicondylar fractures of the proximal phalanx. J Hand Surg Am 18(4):594–599. doi:10.1016/0363-5023(93)90297-G
Mcelfresh EC, Dobyns JH (1983) Intra-articular metacarpal head fractures. J Hand Surg Am 8(4):383–393
Strickland J, Steichen J, Kleinman W, Hastings H, Flynn N (1982) Phalangeal fractures: factors influencing digital performance. Orthop Rev 11(8):39–50
Belsky MR, Eaton RG, Lane LB (1984) Closed reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fractures. J Hand Surg Am 9(5):725–729
Hudak PL, Amadio PC, Bombardier C (1996) Development of an upper extremity outcome measure: the DASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand). The Upper Extremity Collaborative Group (UECG). Am J Ind Med 29(6):602–608. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199606)29:6<602::AID-AJIM4>3.0.CO;2-L
Van Aaken J, Fusetti C, Luchina S, Brunetti S, Beaulieu JY, Gayet-Ageron A et al (2016) Fifth metacarpal neck fractures treated with soft wrap/buddy taping compared to reduction and casting: results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 136(1):135–142. doi:10.1007/s00402-015-2361-0
Barton N (1989) Conservative treatment of articular fractures in the hand. J Hand Surg Am 14(2 Pt):386–390
Inoue G, Nakamura R, Miura T (1988) Intra-articular fracture of the metacarpal head of the locked index finger due to forced passive extension. J Hand Surg Br 13(3):320–322
Cheah AEJ, Chong AKS (2012) Soft-tissue coverage of the hand. Curr Orthop Pract 23(4):336–345. doi:10.1097/BCO.0b013e3182592079
Tan JS, Foo AT, Chew WC, Teoh LC (2011) Articularly placed interfragmentary screw fixation of difficult condylar fractures of the hand. J Hand Surg Am 36(4):604–609. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.12.004
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
J.-K. Lee, Y.-G. Jo, J.-W. Kim, Y.S. Choi, and S.-H. Han declare that they have no competing interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. A positive ethical vote for the retrospective study was obtained.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, JK., Jo, YG., Kim, JW. et al. Open reduction and internal fixation for intraarticular fracture of metacarpal head. Orthopäde 46, 617–624 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00132-017-3392-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00132-017-3392-8
Keywords
- Hand injuries
- Internal fracture fixation
- Range of motion
- Treatment outcome
- Surgical procedures, operative