Treatment of mallet fracture using a percutaneous fixation technique with an 18-gauge needle.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a simple and intuitive treatment method using an 18-gauge needle for mallet fractures that involve more than one-third of the articular surface. We performed a retrospective review of 17 patients who underwent closed reduction using an 18-gauge needle with transfixation of Kirschner wire between March 2007 and October 2013. According to the Wehbe and Schneider classification, 15 cases were type IB, 1 was type IIB, and 1 was type IIC.