Comparison of internal fixation techniques in metacarpal fractures

A biomechanical study assessed quantitative differences in the stability that was obtained by five commonly used types of internal fixation employed in metacarpal fractures. The techniques included dorsal plating, dorsal plating combined with an interfragmentary lag screw, crossed Kirschner wires, a single intraosseous wire combined with a single oblique Kirschner wire, and a single intraosseous wire alone. Rigidity and strength in torsion and bending were determined after transverse osteotomy and fixation of the metacarpal were performed. The failure modes for each fixation technique were also observed and described. Significant differences in rigidity were found between the plated configurations (with or without an interfragmentary lag screw) and the wired configurations in both apex dorsal bending and axial torsion. The three wired configurations were not significantly different from each other except in torsion. Analysis of the bending moments that were required to produce both yield and failure in apex dorsal bending and also the energy absorbed to yield showed similar disparity between plated and wired techniques. For metacarpal fixation, dorsal plating with or without lag screws provides significantly more stability than do wired techniques and approaches that provided by intact bones.