Metacarpal Bony Dimensions Related to Headless Compression Screw Sizes

Introduction  The purpose of this study is to determine the radiographic dimensions of the finger metacarpals and to compare these measurements with headless compression screws commonly used for fracture fixation. Materials and Methods  We analyzed computed tomography (CT) scans of the index, long, ring, and small metacarpal bones and measured the metacarpal length, distance from the isthmus to the metacarpal head, and intramedullary diameter of the isthmus. Metacarpals with previous fractures or hardware were excluded. We compared these dimensions with the size of several commercially available headless screws used for intramedullary fixation. Results  A total of 223 metacarpals from 57 patients were analyzed. The index metacarpal was the longest, averaging 67.6 mm in length. The mean distance from the most distal aspect of the metacarpal head to the isthmus was 40.3, 39.5, 34.4, and 31 mm for the index, long, ring, and small metacarpals, respectively. The narrowest diameter of the isthmus was a mean of 2.6, 2.7, 2.3, and 3 mm for the index, long, ring, and small metacarpals, respectively. Of 33 commercially available screws, only 27% percent reached the isthmus of the index metacarpal followed by 42, 48, and 58% in the long, ring, and small metacarpals, respectively. Conclusion  The index and long metacarpals are at a particular risk of screw mismatch given their relatively long lengths and narrow isthmus diameters.