Percutaneous Intramedullary Headless Screw Fixation and Wide-Awake Anesthesia to Treat Metacarpal Fractures: Early Results in 25 Patients

Abstract

Metacarpal fractures constitute 7.8% of the upper extremity fractures. The common treatments remain nonsurgical procedure, but high-demanding patients or unstable fractures require fixation with Kirschner wire (K-wires), plate, and screws. However, these approaches may cause scarring and adhesion with poor functional results. From 2014 to 2015, the authors used an intramedullary headless screw to treat 25 patients (24 men, 1 woman) with metacarpal bones fractures (20 V, 3 IV, 1 III, and 1 II). The fractures patterns were 23 fractures of distal third of metacarpal bone (16 oblique, 5 comminute configurations, and 2 transverse), 1 fracture of the base of the II metacarpal bone. One case presented a multiple metacarpal and phalangeal facture associated. The authors used wide-awake anesthesia (bupivacaine-epinephrine 1:100,000) and intramedullary titanium headless screw fixation percutaneously inserted (CCS Medartis and HCS Synthes 3 mm of diameter). No open reduction was needed. Early active mobilization started with a buddy strapping soon after surgery (0–3 days). The authors followed all patients until satisfactory function was achieved (4–6 weeks) and recorded the time till return to work. All fracture healed with less than 5 degrees of rotational or axial deformities. All patients return to work within 2.38 weeks after surgery (0.5–6 weeks). No cases of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), tendon lesions, nerve injuries, infection, hardware protruding, or mobilization were reported. Intramedullary screw fixation with wide-awake anesthesia for transverse, oblique, and select comminuted fractures treatment metacarpal fractures represent a reliable option to early active mobilization recovery and a quick return to the work and ordinary activities.

Keywords

metacarpal factures - intramedullary fixation - headless screws - wide-awake anesthesia

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