Mallet thumb

Comparative Outcomes Between Surgical and Conservative Management of Mallet Thumb: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis

BACKGROUND

While mallet finger remains a relatively common injury of the hand, mallet thumb is much rarer in occurrence. Mallet thumb management has been noted infrequently within the literature and reliable evidence regarding the most effective method of management remains absent. The aim of this review is to assess the quality of literature that exists pertaining to mallet thumb to determine whether conservative or surgical management is superior.

METHODS

A search was completed in February 2023 of Ovid Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus with no limitation on study type, and date of publication. Comparative outcomes of thumb interphalangeal (IP) joint range of motion, tip, lateral pinch and grip strength, complications, outcome measure scores, and follow-up period were recorded. We assessed 103 mallet thumbs (51 surgically and 52 conservatively managed) across the 23 studies of low to moderate quality based on the Structured Effectiveness Quality Evaluation Scale. The authors adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

RESULTS

While recommendations remain weak due to low quality of evidence, our review found a lower complication rate and higher IP joint flexion in thumbs managed conservatively.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate a need for future research to shift toward ensuring standardized patient-rated outcome measures are utilized and functional outcomes are included in research planning and operationalization in order to contextualize clinical outcomes.

A Bony Mallet Thumb with Interposition of the Nail Plate

Thumb extensor injuries and bony avulsion in the distal phalanx of the thumb are rare compared with other fingers. The most reported complications are infection, nail deformity, joint incongruity, implant failure, recurrent flexion deformity, and residual pain. This report presents a case of 30-year-old man suffering from an injury in the left thumb distal phalanx with a displaced comminuted intra-articular fracture of the distal phalanx of the left thumb. The nail plate was interposed between the dorsal and palmar fragments. The interposition of the nail plate in the bony mallet thumb has not been described before. Surgical treatment and fixation with a 2-mm miniscrew resulted in successful treatment. Clinical suspicion of this complication is of great importance and can affect treatment outcomes.

Mallet Fractures of the Thumb Compared With Mallet Fractures of the Fingers

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to look for differences in mechanism, radiographic findings, and treatment between mallet fractures of the thumb and mallet fractures of the index through small fingers.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 24 mallet fractures of the thumb and 392 mallet fractures of other digits. We compared demographics, injury factors (side, dominant hand, time between injury and first visit, and injury mechanism), subluxation, fragment size, treatment, and time from injury to final evaluation between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

Mallet fractures of the thumb presented for treatment sooner after injury (2.9 vs 13 days on average), had less fragment displacement (27% vs 33%), and less articular involvement (39% vs 46% on average). None of the mallet fractures of the thumb had radiographic evidence of subluxation, whereas 25% of mallet fractures of other fingers had initial or later subluxation.

CONCLUSIONS

Mallet fractures of the thumb are not likely to subluxate.

Closed mallet thumb injury: Our experience of 10 patients treated with surgery and a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study reports 10 patients with closed mallet thumb injury treated with surgery and compares the clinical outcomes achieved with those of previously described patients who were treated with either conservative therapy or surgery.

METHODS

We report the outcomes of a series of 10 patients who received surgical treatment at our institutions. Due to the rarity of closed mallet thumb, a systematic review was conducted, and the results of a literature search were compared with our case series to strengthen our conclusions. The previously described patients were categorized into two groups: the surgically treated group (16 patients) and the conservatively treated group (10 patients). The following patient and injury characteristics were documented: age, gender, injured side, time from injury to treatment, mechanism of injury, extension lag at first visit, postoperative range of motion (ROM) of the interphalangeal joint, immobilization period, and follow-up period.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in the clinical results, except for shorter immobilization periods between our series and the previously described patients involving conservative treatment (4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 9.5 ± 2.3 weeks, respectively; P = 0.0053).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that surgery may result in more rapid recovery.