A 2013 narrative review covering management of tubular bone fractures of the hand—distal/middle/proximal phalanges, metacarpals, and thumb—with emphasis on treatment advances from 2008 onward. The central question: when is surgery warranted, and how should the fractured hand be mobilized to optimize outcomes?
When managing a boxer's fracture, use the 70°/10° angulation rule to triage operative versus nonoperative care by ray; for any hand fracture, prioritize early mobilization over radiographic union — stiffness will cost the patient more function than a mild malunion ever will.
A 2013 narrative review covering management of tubular bone fractures of the hand—distal/middle/proximal phalanges, metacarpals, and thumb—with emphasis on treatment advances from 2008 onward. The central question: when is surgery warranted, and how should the fractured hand be mobilized to optimize outcomes?
When managing a boxer's fracture, use the 70°/10° angulation rule to triage operative versus nonoperative care by ray; for any hand fracture, prioritize early mobilization over radiographic union — stiffness will cost the patient more function than a mild malunion ever will.