Intramedullary fixation of unstable metacarpal fractures

Displaced fractures of the metacarpal shafts and necks can be treated with a variety of techniques, ranging from early mobilization with no attempt at fracture reduction to open reduction and internal fixation. Intramedullary stabilization of metacarpal shaft and neck fractures is a relatively simple, cost-effective, and safe technique with good published outcomes; however, definite advantages over other techniques of fracture stabilization, or indeed simple early mobilization in some instances, have not been clearly demonstrated. A recent publication does suggest that the technique is comparable to percutaneous transverse fixation in the context of fifth metacarpal neck fractures.