The Art of Orthopaedics. Part IV: Injuries and Diseases of the Shoulder and Elbow Joints.

Fractures of the Metacarpals Fractures of the shafts of the metacarpals other than that of the thumb should be treated by manipulation followed by active exercises only. The fingers should never be splinfed nor immobilised in these fractures. Stiff fingers are the result. Fractures of the neck of the metacarpals with forward angulation of the distal fragment should be corrected by right-angled flexion and backward pressure, and not by hyper-extension.