Surgical Treatment Options for Unstable Mallet Fractures

Management of mallet fractures is still a matter of discussion throughout the literature. For some authors, mallet fractures involving more than 1/3 of the articular surface and palmar subluxation of the distal phalanx require surgical treatment.

In this study we retrospectively compared three different techniques for mallet fractures: Kirschner wire fixation with extension block pinning of the distal interphalangeal joint (EBP), Kirschner wires used as joysticks (KWJ) and interfragmentary mini-screws for open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF).