Citation

Aitken S, Court-Brown CM. Injury 2008; 39(12): 1377-1383.

Affiliation

Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh EH16 4SU, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.injury.2008.04.012

PMID

18656191

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and epidemiology of acute sports-related hand fractures in the adult general population. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database recording all inpatient and outpatient fractures in a well-defined population during 2000. SETTING: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, UK. RESULTS: During 2000, 1430 hand fractures were recorded, 320 of which (22.4%) were sports injuries. Males were more commonly injured (86%). The overall incidence was 60/10(5)(104/10(5) among males and 17/10(5) among females). The average age was 24 years. There were 39 (12.2%) carpal, 108 (33.8%) metacarpal and 173 (54.1%) phalangeal fractures. Damage to the first and fifth rays was most common. Open fractures were uncommon (n=7; 2.2%). Eight sports were responsible for 87.8% of fractures, each sport displaying a characteristic pattern of injury within the hand. The majority of fractures (87.2%) were treated on an outpatient basis. CONCLUSIONS: Sporting activity accounts for 22.4% of all hand fractures, with relatively few requiring operative intervention. Young males are most commonly affected. Certain sports are associated with distinct fracture patterns, allowing appropriate preventive measures to be taken.

Language: en