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[Finger bone and joint trauma of the hand in children]

F Fitoussi1

  • 1Service de chirurgie orthopédique et réparatrice de l'enfant, université Paris 6, hôpital Trousseau, 26, rue du Dr-Netter, 75012 Paris, France.

Chirurgie De La Main
|May 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric hand fractures, common in young children from crush injuries and older children from sports, often heal well with non-operative treatment. Early surgical intervention is crucial for specific injuries like intra-articular fractures to prevent complications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Hand Surgery
  • Pediatric Trauma

Background:

  • The hand is the most frequently injured body part in children.
  • Digit fractures are the most common hand injuries, with distinct patterns in young versus older children.
  • Soft tissue injuries are a primary concern in young children with distal phalanx fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize common hand and finger injuries in children.
  • To differentiate injury patterns based on age and mechanism.
  • To highlight indications for surgical intervention in pediatric hand fractures.

Main Methods:

  • Review of pediatric hand and finger injuries.
  • Analysis of fracture locations (distal vs. proximal phalanx) and injury types (fractures, dislocations, sprains).
  • Identification of specific surgical indications and risk factors for poor outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Young children often sustain distal phalanx crush injuries; older children experience proximal phalanx fractures from sports.
  • Proximal interphalangeal joint injuries typically result from hyperextension, causing volar plate damage.
  • Most pediatric hand injuries are treated non-operatively with good results.

Conclusions:

  • Non-operative management is effective for most pediatric finger injuries.
  • Prompt identification and surgical treatment of intra-articular fractures, displaced phalangeal neck fractures, and malrotated fractures are essential.
  • High-energy trauma and severe soft tissue damage are risk factors for adverse outcomes like non-union or digit stiffness.

Keywords:
ChildrenDislocationEnfantEntorseFractureHand injuriesLuxationSprainTraumatismes de la main

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