Phalangeal fractures treated with osteosynthesis plates. Short - term results.

• Main Authors: Ricardo Martín Gardenal, Matías Santiago Seri, Sebastián José Faccendini, Gastón Bernardo Kalejman, Jorge Ariel Bichara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asociacion Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatologia 2018-08-01
• Series: Revista de la Asociación Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatologia
• Subjects: Mano, falange, fractura, osteosíntesis, placa. Hand; phalanx; fracture; plate fixation.
• Online Access: https://ojs.aaot.org.ar/ojsr/index.php/AAOTMAG/article/view/661

Introduction A prospective cohort study was carried out to evaluate functional results in workers with phalangeal fractures treated with plates and to establish poor prognostic factors. Methods From May 2012 to May 2014, 55 workers with phalangeal fractures were operated on consecutively by reduction and fixation with plate and screws. Forty-two patients (39 men; average age 30.76 years) were evaluated, with 68 operated phalanges (first phalanx 15, second phalanx 53). Twenty-eight percent of fractures were open, 38.24% comminuted and 11.76% had joint involvement. Average follow-up: 3.38 months. Results Bone union was achieved in all fractures in 1.8 months. Gingrass score for the thumb was good in two cases and regular in one. In the remaining fingers, Belsky score was excellent (35%), good (55%), and poor (9%). Average DASH score was 18.53. Worst results were observed in the first phalanx fractures with respect to the second and in older patients than in the younger, both with statistical significance. No relationship was observed between the outcome and other variables studied. Four patients had complications (9.5%). Conclusions Comparing our study with others, the rate of complications was small, and similar results were obtained, but unlike other authors, we are not used to remove hardware with tenolysis or arthrolysis. Bone union was achieved in all cases and results were satisfactory in 90% of patients.