Patients lost to follow-up after metacarpal fractures.

Purpose: To determine factors associated with non-attendance at scheduled follow-up visits for treatment of metacarpal fractures, to improve subject retention in prospective investigations.

Methods: This study included adult patients with metacarpal fractures seen in an outpatient hand clinic between 2004 and 2009. We assessed a number of variables (demographic, social, and injury-specific) that might be associated with failure to return for follow-up. The statistical analysis included both bivariate and multivariable models.

Results: In a cohort of 335 patients (228 men and 107 women) with a mean age of 40 years (range, 18-88 y), independent factors associated with non-attendance were unmarried status (single or divorced), having no insurance, having an unemployed or disabled status, having an unknown work status, and having a small finger metacarpal neck fracture.

Conclusions: Patients who do not attend a scheduled 1-month follow-up after a single isolated metacarpal fracture are sociologically distinct from those who do attend.

Type Of Study/level Of Evidence: Prognostic IV.