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Hand fractures: a study of their site and type in childhood
A Rajesh1, A K Basu, R Vaidhyanath
1Specialist Registrar in Radiology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK. arajesh27@hotmail.com
Aim:
The purpose of the study was to document the site and type of fractures of the hand in children up to 16 years of age.
Materials And Methods:
The radiographs of 280 children who were found to have a fracture in Accident and Emergency over a one-year period were reviewed. A total of 293 fractures of the hand and 3 distal interphalangeal joint dislocations without fracture were identified. There were 293 fractures as some children had more than one fracture.
Results:
Distal tuft fractures were commonest in the 0 to 4-year age-group; fractures of distal phalanx (both transverse and tuft) in the 5 to 8-year age-group; transverse fractures of the proximal phalanx of little finger in the 9 to 12-year age-group and transverse fractures of neck of the fifth metacarpal in the 13 to 16-year age-groups.
Conclusion:
Hand fractures are more common in older children, with a male preponderance in most groups except in the 0-4 age-group. The site of injury is different in the various corresponding age-groups, reflecting the differing mechanisms of injury. The management of hand fractures rely on a correct diagnosis and a knowledge of their common site in each age-group should aid diagnosis.