ArticleHand (New York, N.Y.)2024
Six-Week Radiographic Follow-up Does Not Change Management for Nonoperatively Treated Extraarticular Metacarpal Shaft Fractures.
Article in Hand (New York, N.Y.), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- The Rate and Utility of Follow-Up Radiographs for Nonoperatively Treated Isolated Radial Head Fractures.Journal of hand surgery global online · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMetacarpal fractures are common and account for over 30% of all hand fractures. Previous literature has shown similar outcomes between operative and nonoperative management of metacarpal shaft fractures. There is little information regarding the natural history of conservatively managed metacarpal shaft fractures and changes in management based on follow-up radiographs.
methodsA retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who presented to a single institution with an extraarticular metacarpal shaft or base fracture between 2015 and 2019.
resultsThirty-one patients with 37 metacarpal fractures were included for review: average age 41 years, male 48%, right hand dominant 91%, and average follow-up duration 7.3 weeks. At follow-up, a change of 2.4° in angulation (
conclusionsRecent systematic reviews and meta-analysis have suggested that metacarpal fractures treated nonoperatively had similar outcomes to surgical fixation at 12 months of follow-up. We found that extraarticular metacarpal shaft fractures that do not meet operative indications at the initial visit should be expected to heal reliably with minimal change in angulation and shortening over time. The transition to removable brace or no brace at the 2-week follow-up is likely sufficient, and additional follow-up is not necessary and will reduce cost. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.
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