Efficacy evaluation of closed reduction of fifth metacarpal neck fractures in children

This article covers the retrospective analysis of the results of treatment of 47 children aged 9 to 17 years with V metacarpal neck fractures, based on the data of radiation studies. The treatment of fifth metacarpal neck fractures, without reduction, does not have a reliable positive result. At large angles of deformity of the V neck of the metacarpal (>45°), the use of closed reduction leads to a significant positive therapeutic effect in the immediate observation period. However, from our point of view, the persistence of the displacement V metacarpal bone with sufficiently large degree in certain cases and the presence of posttraumatic changes in the structure of the heads, subcapital and growth zones in the observed patients cannot satisfy specialists from the standpoint of modern children’s traumatology. Thus, changes in the structure of the heads and subcapital zones in the long-term radiological control of the group were found in 11. 1% of patients who were treated without reduction with a stabilizing plaster cast and in 55% of patients who underwent closed reduction of the metacarpal fractures. The predominance of the narrowing of the growth zone of the injured V metacarpal bone occurs in patients who undergo a closed manual reduction, which may be due to the traumatic effect on the physical zone of the primary force or reduction manipulations. All this indicates the feasibility of further scientific research of this problem with the prospect of developing therapeutic technologies that allow to achieve a complete anatomical reposition of the metacarpal bones in pediatric patients.