I need a statistician
Budget: £10 – £20 GBP
This systematic review highlights the outcomes of different surgical management of proximal phalangeal fractures. A 25-year review of the English language literature was conducted using the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases. All papers that reported post-operative outcomes for proximal phalangeal fractures in patients aged 16 years and above were included. Forty-eight studies were identified after the database search. Following a full-text review, there were 24 publications used in the final analysis. A total of 913 proximal fractures were identified, of which 299 fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using screws only, 277 fractures with plate and screws, and 235 fractures fixed with K wires.
Data extraction and analysis
For each included publication, the following data were extracted on an excel spreadsheet: the first author, year of study, study period, level of evidence, study design, country of study, number of proximal phalangeal fractures included, patient demographics (age, gender), fracture characteristics (comminuted, non-comminuted, open, closed, extra-articular, and intra-articular), type of reduction (open vs closed), type of fixation (plate and screws, screws only, external fixation, intramedullary wires, and K wires), timing of procedure after injury, length of follow-up after operation, and reported outcomes such as TAM, DASH scores, VAS, PRWHE, grip strength, Belsky scores, finger pulp–curve distance, and MHQ. In addition to reported complications (stiffness, adhesion), and reoperation (metal work removal).
Data extraction and analysis
For each included publication, the following data were extracted on an excel spreadsheet: the first author, year of study, study period, level of evidence, study design, country of study, number of proximal phalangeal fractures included, patient demographics (age, gender), fracture characteristics (comminuted, non-comminuted, open, closed, extra-articular, and intra-articular), type of reduction (open vs closed), type of fixation (plate and screws, screws only, external fixation, intramedullary wires, and K wires), timing of procedure after injury, length of follow-up after operation, and reported outcomes such as TAM, DASH scores, VAS, PRWHE, grip strength, Belsky scores, finger pulp–curve distance, and MHQ. In addition to reported complications (stiffness, adhesion), and reoperation (metal work removal).