Treatment of Hand and Wrist Fractures with the Stryker Hand Plating System

Abstract Background: 10% of all fractures occur in the fingers and metacarpal region. Early mobilization with preservation of grip function is the goal of any therapy for these injuries. Osteosyntheses with plates are used in complex fractures that do not allow any other treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the performance and safety of the Stryker Hand System.Patients and Methods: Between 2010 and 2019, 190 patients underwent surgical treatment with plates for fractures of the fingers and metacarpal region. Of these, 140 operations could be analyzed according to the inclusion criteria based on clinical and radiological parameters.Results: Three-quarters of the patients were male. The mean age at the time of surgery was 39.3 ± 15.97 years. Falling was the leading cause for hand fractures, and the commonest were fractures of the shaft (>52%). More than 15% were complex hand injuries with more than one fractured finger. The majority of patients were healthy non-smokers without systemic diseases and relevant medical history. Conclusion: The Stryker Finger Plates are safe implants with good results that are consistent with those reported in the literature. The trend is also toward stable-angle implants for fracture treatment of the finger, in order to enable the earliest possible functional, safe mobilization. The maxim that the extent of the soft tissue injury is responsible for the result continues to apply.Level of Evidence Level: IV; Outcome-study, retrospective