Distal phalanx fractures are common, but because of good
vascularity and the splinting effect of the nail plate,
fracture nonunions are not common. These cases
illustrate longitudinal pin fixation of delayed union of
distal phalanx fractures. |
Click on each image for a larger picture |
Case 1. 6 week old grossly unstable distal phalanx fracture. Fracture reduced through a midline palmar approach and stabilized with extraarticular nonparallel Kirschner wires. |
Exposure. |
The K-wires were
bent to form a zone of overlap which was bonded
together with thermoplastic splint material. |
Pins were removed
at 5 weeks with uneventful fracture healing. |
Case 2. 3 month old grossly unstable nonunion. |
The new nail plate
is visible growing deep to the original nail plate. |
The distal nail
plate fragment was removed, and the fracture was
stabilized with K-wires as in case 1. |
Two months
following hardware removal. |
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percutaneous fixation phalanx distal phalanx nonunion |
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