The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical treatment of fractures of the little finger metacarpal neck, or "Boxer's" fractures, by transverse pinning and intramedullary pinning. Thirty-six patients with fracture of the neck of the fifth metacarpal were included in a prospective comparative randomised study. A palmar splint was applied for 1 week after both procedures. Patients began physiotherapy three times per week for 30 days. The patients were evaluated clinically six times after surgery, up to the 90th day, with X-ray assessment on days 8, 45 and 90. The study showed that intramedullary pinning gave better functional outcomes than transverse pinning, although the former was more technically demanding.

Therapeutic, II.

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