Condylar advancement osteotomy for correcting condylar malunion of the finger

Unicondylar fractures of proximal and middle phalanges of the finger can unite with intra-articular malunion, which may result in joint pain, stiffness and deformity. There is currently no satisfactory technique of corrective osteotomy for these fractures. Extra-articular osteotomies often do not give good results and existing techniques of intra-articular osteotomy through the healed fracture site are technically difficult due to the small bone fragment, difficulty achieving stable fixation and the risk of avascular necrosis. We propose a different method of intra-articular correction with a longitudinal osteotomy and advancement of the malunited condyle. The "condylar advancement osteotomy" can overcome problems encountered with the other techniques. Excellent results were obtained in six patients.