Percutaneous leverage pinning in the treatment of Bennett's fracture

Abstract

Twelve patients (eleven males, one female; mean age 36 years) with Bennett's fracture having a gap or a step-off of more than 2 mm and in whom maintenance of the reduced position was difficult were treated by percutaneous leverage pinning. Bone union was obtained in all patients, and the wire was removed 37 days on average after the initial treatment. On the final follow-up examination, mild pain with motion was noted in two patients, and moderate to severe pain was noted in one patient. The reduction of the articular surface of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb was confirmed by radiography; it was less than 1 mm in nine patients, less than 2 mm in two, and more than 2 mm in one. Because reduction and fixation are performed utilizing the leverage force of the wire inserted into the trapezium, percutaneous pinning has advantages, such as technical simplicity and the ability to apply tension to the fractured site.