2.1. Study Design
hand injuries, angulation, fractures, fifth-metacarpal neck fracture, injuries
A comparative evaluation study was undertaken to assess the relative efficacy of three distinct treatment modalities for fractures in the fifth-metacarpal neck, namely, the K-wire pinning (KP) method, the intramedullary pinning (IP) method, and the combined intramedullary pinning with K-wire pinning (IPKP) method. Surgery using one of these three methods was decided upon based on the surgeon’s preference. Conducted as a retrospective study at a single center, this study’s duration spanned from January 2005 to April 2023, utilizing medical records and radiographic images as the primary data sources. The inclusion criteria for this study sought patients aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of a fifth-metacarpal neck fracture exhibiting angulations exceeding 40° (the normal range of angulation is <15°) [Patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in this study, regardless of gender, underlying medical conditions, or previous hand injuries. However, patients meeting any of the following criteria were excluded: any injuries to tendons, ligaments, vessels, or nerves of the ipsilateral upper limbs; multiple fragmentary fractures; combined operations; open fractures; and non-cooperative patients.In our series, 90 of the 158 patients were male. The average age was 45.9 ± 8.3 (18 to 69). The right hand was affected in 94 cases and the left hand in 64. Statistically, there were no significant differences in the demographics of the three groups (