Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2022 Dec 7;5(2):231-233.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2022.10.013. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Suture Fixation of Subacute Pediatric Seymour Fractures

Ethan Graham Englert  1 , Trevor Tooley  1 , Kevin Weisz  1 , Paul Shapiro  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Suture Fixation of Subacute Pediatric Seymour Fractures

Ethan Graham Englert et al. J Hand Surg Glob Online. .

Abstract

Seymour fractures are common injuries in the pediatric population. High rates of deep infection have been reported due to delayed presentation and subsequent treatment. This report describes the case of a 13-year-old male wrestler who presented 1 month after a finger injury that was later diagnosed as a subacute Seymour fracture with osteomyelitis. The patient underwent irrigation and debridement and fracture reduction stabilized with nonabsorbable suture fixation. After 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics, the patient was recovering well, with radiographic evidence of fracture healing and clearance of infection. This case highlights the use of a single suture as a treatment option for fixation of unstable Seymour fractures with delayed presentation. The management of acute open distal phalangeal physeal fractures is well described in the literature; however, further investigations are warranted into the optimal management of chronically infected digits with unstable Seymour fractures.

Keywords: Infection; Nail trauma; Pediatric; Seymour fracture; Suture fixation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Left middle finger of the patient at initial presentation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the left hand of the patient at initial presentation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Coronal and sagittal magnetic resonance imaging short tau inversion recovery sequences at initial presentation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Maintenance of fracture reduction with 4-0 nylon suture extending from dorsal pup to skin superficial to the middle phalanx.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the patient’s left hand at 8 weeks after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Neustein T.M., Payne S.H., Jr., Seiler J.G., III Treatment of fingertip injuries. JBJS Rev. 2020;8(4) - PubMed
    1. Samade R., Lin J.S., Popp J.E., Samora J.B. Delayed presentation of Seymour fractures: a single institution experience and management recommendations. Hand (N Y) 2021;16(5):686–693. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Seymour N. Juxta-epiphysial fracture of the terminal phalanx of the finger. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1966;48(2):347–349. - PubMed
    1. Abzug J.M., Kozin S.H. Seymour fractures. J Hand Surg Am. 2013;38(11):2267–2270. - PubMed
    1. Reyes B.A., Ho C.A. The high risk of infection with delayed treatment of open Seymour fractures: Salter-Harris I/II or juxta-epiphyseal fractures of the distal phalanx with associated nailbed laceration. J Pediatr Orthop. 2017;37(4):247–253. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources