Surgical Treatment of Metacarpal and Phalangeal Fracture with Rotational Malalignment

PURPOSE: Hand fractures can be treated conservatively in many cases, but rotation malalignment is one of the important indications for surgical treatment because of dysfunction. We performed open reduction and internal fixation in these malalignment fractures and report clinical and radiological results. METHODS: This study included 28 patients (18 male, 10 female) who had metacarpal and phalangeal fractures with rotational malalignment of finger on initial examination. Patients with combined injuries including open soft tissue damage or multiple fractures were excluded. Mean age was 36.1 years and average follow-up period was 14.6 months. Perioperative extent of rotation and correction during the follow-up, union on the radiographs, Range of motion, disability of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) score, and pinch power at the last follow-up were evaluated. RESULTS: Average corrected angulation of rotation was 11.9° and no patient showed scissoring appearance of fingers at the last follow-up. All patients showed solid bony union on the radiographs during the follow-up. The average of total active motion of the injured fingers were average 254°, average DASH score was 3.2 and average pinch power was 3.0 kg at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiologically satisfactory results were obtained in all patients. Care should be taken not to overlook the rotational misalignment after fracture of the hand, and surgical treatment should be considered to ensure correct reduction and fixation.

Changes in the Adjacent Segment After Thoracolumbar Posterior Instrumentation and Fusion Surgery in Thoracolumbar Junction Fractures

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in the adjacent segment after posterior instrumentation and fusion in thoracolumbar spinal fractures. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The incidence of adjacent-segment disease is increasing as spinal surgery becomes more common. Many studies have been conducted on the risk factors for adjacent-segment changes in the lumbar spine, but few articles have been published on this topic in the thoracolumbar spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 50 patients who received treatment from 2000 to 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. They underwent posterior instrumentation and fusion due to thoracolumbar fracture and were followed up for more than 2 years. To evaluate changes in the adjacent segment, immediate postoperative and last follow-up values of the sagittal angle, disc height, and disc angle were compared between groups divided by age (more or less than 50 years), laminectomy, and fusion levels. The Pfirrmann grade of the discs proximal and distal to the fusion level was also measured using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were male and 14 were female. The average age of the 50 patients was 45.6 years, and the mean follow-up period was 4.3 years. There were no cases of adjacent-segment disease. The mean kyphotic sagittal angle progression was 6.8° (range, −11° to 28.5°, p=0.000). The mean change of disc height of the proximal adjacent segment was 0.3 mm (range, −1.6 to 3.4 mm, p=0.013) and 0.6 mm (range, −4.1 to 5.8 mm, p=0.013) in the distal adjacent segment. Laminectomy did not make a significant difference. In the group below 50 years of age, the angle of the adjacent segment discs increased by 0.8° (range, −3.1° to 5.1°, p=0.004) at the proximal adjacent segment and by 0.5°(range, −4.8° to 2.9°, p=0.016) at the distal adjacent segment. Proximal adjacent disc height decreased as the fusion levels increased. As the preoperative Pfirrmann grade increased, degenerative changes in the proximal adjacent segment disc tended to accelerate. CONCLUSIONS: Adjacent-segment disease after lumbar fusion surgery was not found in adjacent segments of the thoracolumbar spine. This seems to be due to the anatomical characteristics of the lumbar spine, which is more flexible than the thoracolumbar vertebra. The mobile segments of the lumbar spine may account for this difference, rather than the instrumentation and fusion procedure itself.