Fractures of the Hand

Abstract

One thousand consecutive fractures of the metacarpals, phalanges, and carpal bones have been recorded over a period of about 10 months in Bergen. Norway, to find out the relative incidence of these fractures in an unselected series: this corresponds well with the few other reports of the incidence of hand fractures that we could find. In the total series the metacarpals, phalanges, and carpal bones account for 36%, 46%, and 18% of the fractures, respectively. Fractures of the scaphoid make up 10.6% of the total, fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal 9.7%. and Bennett's fractures 1.4%. The outer areas of the hand are most commonly damaged,—the fifth ray, the thumb ray, and the distal phalanx of the third finger account for half of all fractures of the hand.     

Open Wedge Osteotomy for Malunited Extraarticular Distal Radius Fractures with Plate Osteosynthesis without Bone Grafting

Abstract Background: Malunion of distal radius fractures can cause pain, limited wrist motion, or loss of grip strength. The most important factors are incongruity in the distal radioulnar (DRU) joint and radial tilt which causes adaptive carpal instability. The purpose of open wedge corrective osteotomy is to restore congruency with minimal soft-tissue damage. Patients and Methods: Between 1993 and 2001, 47 patients with malunited extraarticular distal radius fractures who were treated by open wedge corrective osteotomy without bone grafting were included. The patients were divided into two groups, one group with dorsal tilt of the distal radius and one group with palmar tilt. Ulnar variance, radial inclination, and radial tilt were measured before and after operation. Also, the range of wrist motions was tested before and after correction, including grip strength. Fixation was performed with a dorsal or palmar plate, dependent on the side of radial tilt. Results: Improvement of especially radial tilt was seen in both groups. Also, an important increase in wrist motions was observed. Flexion of the wrist improved by 38.0° in the dorsal group and by 43.0° in the palmar group. With respect to rotation of the lower arm, supination improved most by 21.6° and 46.0° in the dorsal and palmar group, respectively. All osteotomies healed within 3 months without secondary displacement even after a short period of immobilization. Conclusion: Corrective osteotomy is a useful additional therapy in the treatment of malunited extraarticular fractures of the distal radius in which bone grafting is not necessary.     

Simplified Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Pediatric Hand Wounds

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is commonly used as a bolster for skin grafts. The technique offers the benefit of negative pressure as well as reduced dressing changes. Skin grafting of the hand provides a unique challenge, and currently, the only commercially available NPWT hand dressings are adult-sized, precluding their use in small children. We present our custom NPWT “mitten” technique for use with skin grafts on the pediatric hand.