Case Presentation: The patient was a 20-year-old female, Division I collegiate volleyball player who sustained an injury from a hard spike. Radiographs confirmed a closed, comminuted, fifth proximal phalanx fracture in six fragments, spanning the phalangeal base and extending beyond the midshaft. Stable fixation with early range of motion (ROM) was the highest priority as the Big Ten Conference Championship was less than three weeks away.
Preoperative Plan:
While the use of K-wires or percutaneous lag screw fixation was possible, Dr. Tueting ultimately chose to use the OsteoMed Hand Plating System as he felt that this system would provide a comprehensive, creative solution that could treat this complex fracture and allow a quicker return to sport. His surgical goals included: anatomic alignment and absolute stability of the comminuted segments; lag screw and cannulated screw fixation both inside and outside of the plate where needed; and locking plate and screw combinations for rotational control and additional stability.