Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35096686›Full record

ArticlePlastic surgery (Oakville, Ont.)2022

Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Early Protected Movement and Splinting for Fifth Metacarpal Neck Fracture.

Helene Retrouvey, Josephine Jakubowski, Mona Al-Taha, Anna Steve, Haley Augustine, Michael J Stein, Becher Al-Halabi, Johnny Ionut Efanov, Alexander Morzycki, David Tang and 3 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Plastic surgery (Oakville, Ont.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparison of two immobilization techniques for radiological outcomes in fifth metacarpal neck fractures: a prospective controlled study.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 9 institutions in 1 country.

Helene RetrouveyDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5215-0404
Josephine JakubowskiDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mona Al-TahaDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Anna SteveDivision of Plastic Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Haley AugustineDivision of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Michael J SteinDivision of Plastic Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Becher Al-HalabiDivision of Plastic Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Johnny Ionut EfanovDivision of Plastic Surgery, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Alexander MorzyckiFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
David TangDivision of Plastic Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Martin LeBlancDivision of Plastic Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Paul BinhammerDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Plastic Surgery Research Collaborative
University of Toronto · CADalhousie University · CAMcGill University · CAMcMaster University · CAMuscular Dystrophy Canada · CAUniversité de Montréal · CAUniversity of Alberta · CAUniversity of Calgary · CAUniversity of Ottawa · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFifth metacarpal neck fractures account for 20% of all hand fractures, yet there remains debate with respect to management, particularly when conservative treatment is initiated. The objective of this study is to compare functional and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients treated with early protected movement or splint immobilization.

methodsThis national multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial compared 2 groups; elastic bandage with early protected movement versus immobilization with splinting. Demographic characteristics were collected at baseline. Functional outcomes (grip strength testing) and PROs (Brief Michigan Hand Questionnaire [bMHQ]) were collected at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-intervention. Grip strength values of the injured hand were normalized to both the non-injured hand (at baseline), and the Canadian reference values.

resultsThirty-seven participants from 5 Canadian centers were randomized into the splint (n = 21) or elastic bandage group (n = 16). There were no significant differences in the bMHQ score between the splint (52.1 ± 27.2) or the elastic bandage (46.6 ± 20.4) groups (

conclusionPatients with Boxer's fractures treated with early protected movement had better functional outcomes by 8 weeks post-treatment as compared to the Canadian reference values of those treated with immobilization and splinting. Providers should manage Boxer's fractures with early protected movement.

Indexed as

Boxer’s factureclinical trialearly protected movementfifth metacarpal neck fracturepatient-reported outcomessplint

Identifiers

PMID35096686
PMCPMC8793753
OpenAlexW3163424070

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.