title: Surgical Fixation of Fourth and Fifth Metacarpal Shaft Fractures with Flexible Intramedullary Absorbable Rods: Early Clinical Outcomes and Implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To avoid the irritation of tendons and soft tissues as well as hardware-related problems, we designed an intramedullary fixation with bioabsorbable rods for the treatment of the metacarpal shaft fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients with nine shaft fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpi were treated with intramedullary absorbable implants and followed up with an average of 4.2 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At final follow-up, all patients achieved fracture union with no signs of inflammatory or subcutaneous effusion. There was no shortening, angulatory, or rotatory deformity. There was almost full active extension range of motion (ROM) of the metacarpophalangeal joints while the active flexion ROM of these joints was 80.7 ± 9.6°. Compared with the contralateral hand, the grip strength of the injured hand was 94.0 ± 9.6%. X-rays showed that the arch of the second to fifth metacarpal heads was smooth. There were no intramedullary lytic changes and soft tissue swellings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intramedullary absorbable implants are a safe, simple, and practical treatment for fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures with good early clinical outcomes and no significant complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China.
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Zi-Run
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Shi-Gong
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Lu-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D008297:Male; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult