Carlsen and Moran review the diagnosis and management of the three dominant thumb trauma patterns — Bennett fractures, Rolando fractures, and ulnar collateral ligament injuries — synthesizing biomechanical data, classification systems, fixation options, and available outcome studies to provide actionable treatment guidelines for each injury.
When a Bennett fracture is identified, fixation technique (open vs. Percutaneous) matters less than achieving ≤2 mm of articular step-off and reducing the metacarpal shaft — if closed reduction cannot accomplish this, convert to open.
When you suspect a complete thumb UCL tear, stress-test both flexion and extension arcs and order MRI if a Stener lesion is possible, because interposition of the adductor aponeurosis guarantees non-healing without surgical repair.
Carlsen and Moran review the diagnosis and management of the three dominant thumb trauma patterns — Bennett fractures, Rolando fractures, and ulnar collateral ligament injuries — synthesizing biomechanical data, classification systems, fixation options, and available outcome studies to provide actionable treatment guidelines for each injury.
When a Bennett fracture is identified, fixation technique (open vs. Percutaneous) matters less than achieving ≤2 mm of articular step-off and reducing the metacarpal shaft — if closed reduction cannot accomplish this, convert to open.
When you suspect a complete thumb UCL tear, stress-test both flexion and extension arcs and order MRI if a Stener lesion is possible, because interposition of the adductor aponeurosis guarantees non-healing without surgical repair.