Management of metacarpal shaft fractures: a survey of current UK practice.

Introduction: Metacarpal shaft fractures (MSF) are common injuries that predominantly affect young, economically active people. However, there is limited evidence to guide their management. The aims of this study were to: evaluate the management of extra-articular MSF of the fingers; assess equipoise for surgical and nonsurgical treatments; and explore factors influencing clinician decision making to inform the design of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing surgical and nonsurgical treatments.

Management of metacarpal shaft fractures.

Aims: The aims of this study were to describe the epidemiology of metacarpal shaft fractures (MSFs), assess variation in treatment and complications following standard care, document hospital resource use, and explore factors associated with treatment modality.

Methods: A multicentre, cross-sectional retrospective study of MSFs at six centres in the UK. We collected and analyzed healthcare records, operative notes, and radiographs of adults presenting within ten days of a MSF affecting the second to fifth metacarpal between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017.

'It's just a finger isn't it…': patients' perspectives of recovery following finger fractures and participation in surgical trials - a qualitative interview study.

Objectives: To (1) generate detailed, person-centred data about the experience of finger injury and treatment and (2) understand the patients' perspectives of research involvement with a view to informing better designed future studies in hand injury.

Design: Qualitative study using semistructured interviews and framework analysis.

Participants: 19 participants who were part of the Cohort study of Patients' Outcomes for Finger Fractures and Joint Injuries study in a single secondary care centre in the UK.

Developing a core outcome set for hand fractures and joint injuries in adults.

The aim of this study was to develop a core outcome set of what to measure in all future clinical research on hand fractures and joint injuries in adults. Phase 1 consisted of steps to identify potential outcome domains through systematic review of published studies, and exploration of the patient perspective through qualitative research, consisting of 25 semi-structured interviews and five focus groups. Phase 2 involved key stakeholder groups (patients, hand surgeons, and hand therapists) prioritizing the outcome domains via a three-round international Delphi survey, with a final consensus meeting to agree the final core outcome set.