Comparative study of the clinical results of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures fixed by AO miniplates and cross K-wires

Objective To assess the clinical results of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures fixed by AO miniplates and cross K-wires. Methods 88 metacarpal and phalangeal fractures in 68 cases were assessed which were devided into group AO miniplates(37 fractures in 26 cases) and group cross K-wires(51 fractures in 42 cases). Follow-up were maintained in all cases for 3～12 months(average 5.3 months). The clinical results of both two groups were assessed by the standard of TAFS, infective rate, delayed union rate, fracture union time and complications mobidity . Results There were no nonunions in all cases. According to TAFS scores, the excellent and good rate of group AO miniplates( 78.4% ) was superior to that of group cross K-wires(54.9%), there were of significant difference between them(x2=5.179,P0.05). All infective cases were found in open fracture cases, the infective rate of group AO miniplates in which 4 of the 11 open fracture cases were infective postoperatively was similar with that of group cross K-wires in which 10 of the 27 open fracture cases were infected. The delayed union rate of group AO miniplates( 2.70%) was superior to that of group cross K-wires(7.84%). The average fracture union time of group AO miniplates (4.5 weeks) was shorter than that of group cross K-wires(7.6 weeks), there were significant different between them(t=2.964,P0.05). The complication mobidity in group AO miniplates was lower than that in group cross K-wires. Conclusion The clinical study of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures fixed by AO miniplates are superior to that of those fractures fixed by cross K-wires in such indexes as postoperative function restoration of metacarpalphalangeal and interphalangeal joints, dalyed union rate, average fracture union time and complication mobidity, however, there are of no significant difference in postoperative infective rate.