Fifth Metacarpal Fracture

1. Fifth Metacarpal Fracture A study stated that metacarpal fractures account for around 40 percent of all hand fractures. The condition is more common in athletes who play contact sports. The fifth metacarpal fracture could also occur due to accidents including high-energy collision. Let us see what it is along with other related information to this fracture. What is Fifth Metacarpal Fracture? Also known as Boxer's Fracture, this is the condition where your little finger or ring finger bone gets damaged near the knuckle or the neck of the bone. The reason why such a fracture is known as Boxer's Fracture is that it occurs when the direct impact occurs to the clenched fist. It is seen that in more than 85 percent of cases of metacarpal fractures, the thumb is not included, whereas the fifth finger (little finger) is most commonly involved.

2. When we compare all metacarpal injuries, most of them are isolated meaning closed and stable. While on the other hand, very limited ones are reported as serious or we can say open metacarpal injuries. Depending upon the injury that occurred, the treatment and management of the fifth metacarpal fracture are decided. As we have said above that most injuries are stable or isolated, thus, they can be treated without surgery. Diagnosis of Fifth Metacarpal Fracture The fifth metacarpal fracture can be open or closed just like other long bone fractures, thus, the diagnosis of the condition will start with the physical examination of the injured area. Based on the injury site, the orthopedist will further decide for X-ray examination to confirm the anatomical position of the fractured bones. The x-ray examination will also help in the identification of whether the fracture is intra-articular or extra-articular. During X-ray examination, the orthopedist will also notice whether any other bone is injured and what is the pattern of the fractured bone. Getting a clear idea about this is very important to decide the correct and effective treatment procedure. Treatment of Fifth Metacarpal Fracture As non-operative and operative. This will solely depend upon the condition and seriousness of the injured area. we've discussed above, the treatment procedure is categorized as Non-Operative Treatment According to the reports, the maximum number of cases of fifth metacarpal fractures can be treated without surgery. During non-operative treatment, a splint or cast immobilization for around 4 weeks is generally applied. As most fifth metacarpal fractures are stable, thus, cast immobilization has shown good results in their fixation.

3. Operative Treatment Operative treatment is always indicated for intra-articular fractures, unstable open fractures, severe soft tissue injury, and polytrauma. If the fracture is at the metacarpal shaft, IM nail or orthopedic plates are used. These ​orthopedic implants will help in holding the bone fragments in their normal position till they heal completely. When compared to transverse pinning, IM nails or I'M pinning has shown better results. Surgery is known to be the best option for open and multiple metacarpal fractures. Conclusion Metacarpal fractures are one of the most common when we talk about hand fractures. Besides this, you must have also got the idea that most metacarpal injuries are stable or isolated, hence they are treated nonoperatively. But in case of unstable injuries or severe metacarpal fractures, surgery using IM nails, locking plates, and implants included in the hand fracture system are used. The goal of creating this post was to make you aware of how fifth metacarpal fractures are treated and managed. We hope that we have been able to do that. Contact Information: Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. Address: ​WZ- 1, 2nd Floor, Phool Bagh, RamPura New Delhi, India​ Mobile: ​+(91)-9810021264 Email: ​online@siora.net Source: https://sites.bubblelife.com/community/siora_surgicals_pvt_ltd_5/library/35 2607441/key/355166332/Fifth_Metacarpal_Fracture_-_Treatment_and_Ma nagement