Comparison of therapeutic effects of different surgical methods in the fifth distal metacarpal fractures

WEI Jian; HONG Ding-gang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1009-4237.2017.11.013

Abstract：Objective To compare and analyze the effect of different surgical approaches for the fifth distal metacarpal fractures .Methods Forty cases of the fifth distal metacarpal fractures were selected ,who were treated in Department of Orthopedics ,Affiliated Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Apr .2009 to Apr.2015.There were 33 males and 7 females,with an average age of 27.4 years (range,17 to 50 years).The injury causes included 30 cases of boxing,4 cases of falls,and 6 cases of road traffic injury;the time from injury to surgery was 1h to 6d.Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups:14 cases of intramedullary nail fixation (group A),12 cases of the fourth,fifth metacarpal Kirschner wire external fixation (group B),and 14 cases of plate fixation (group C).The operation time,fracture reduction degree,fracture healing time and the fifth metacarpal head shaft angle and metacarpophalangeal joint function at postoperative 4 months were observed and compared among three groups .Results All fractures healed without infection or skin necrosis .Group A was better than group B and group C in the operation time ,fracture healing time ,metacarpophalangeal joint func-tion,and complications.Conclusion Intramedullary nail fixation of the fifth distal metacarpal fractures can reduce complications and restore the joint function as soon as possible .It is worthy of clinical promotion .