A Systematic Review of Treatment Interventions for Metacarpal Shaft Fractures in Adults

Taha, Rowa H. M.; Grindlay, Douglas; Deshmukh, Sandeep; Montgomery, Alan; Davis, Tim R. C.; Karanatana, Alexia

Abstract

Metacarpal shaft fractures are common hand injuries that predominantly affect younger patients. There is wide variability in their treatment with no consensus on best practice. We performed a systematic review to assess the breadth and quality of available evidence supporting different treatment modalities for metacarpal shaft fractures of the finger digits in adults. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A total of 1600 records were identified; 7 studies fulfilled eligibility criteria and were included. No randomized controlled trials directly comparing surgery with nonsurgical treatment were found. One retrospective study compared nonsurgical with surgical treatment, whereas 6 compared surgical or nonsurgical treatments. Considerable heterogeneity between studies along with a high or critical risk of bias restricts direct comparison and conclusions. There is a lack of high-quality evidence to guide treatment, supporting the need for well-designed, multicenter trials to identify the most effective and cost-efficient treatment for metacarpal shaft fractures in adults.

Citation

Taha, R. H. M., Grindlay, D., Deshmukh, S., Montgomery, A., Davis, T. R. C., & Karanatana, A. (2022). A Systematic Review of Treatment Interventions for Metacarpal Shaft Fractures in Adults. Hand, 17(5), 869-878. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944720974363

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Sep 21, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 13, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Journal: HAND
• Print ISSN: 1558-9447
• Electronic ISSN: 1558-9455
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 869-878
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944720974363
• Keywords: fracture/dislocation, diagnosis, finger, trauma, treatment, research and health outcomes, evaluation
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4961664
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1558944720974363