Intramedullary fixation of unstable metacarpal fractures.

Intramedullary stabilization of metacarpal shaft and neck fractures is a relatively simple, cost-effective, and safe technique with good published outcomes (Fig. 9); however definite advantages over other techniques of fracture stabilization, or indeed simple early mobilization in some instances, have not been clearly demonstrated. A recent publication does suggest that the technique is comparable to percutaneous transverse fixation in the context of fifth metacarpal neck fractures.