title: Surgical treatment of mallet finger fractures by tension band technique.
abstract: A retrospective review was performed of 19 patients with irreducible mallet finger fractures after failed splinting. The patients were treated with open reduction and a tension band technique. Follow-up results were available for 18 patients (95%) at an average 8.2 years postoperatively. Eighty-nine percent of patients had no clinical mallet deformity, troublesome pain, or major functional disability. Distal interphalangeal range of motion averaged 1 degree hyperextension to 69 degrees flexion. All fractures healed with a congruent articular surface. Minor nonmechanical complications were encountered in 11% of cases in which a suture was used as the tension band material. Successful treatment may thus be achieved surgically in this select subset of mallet finger fractures when this technique is employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Damron
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Engber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016916:Joint Deformities, Acquired / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies