ABSTRACT
The principles of unstable hand fracture management include
anatomic restoration, sufficient stability to prevent displace-
ment until callus seals the fracture and allows early
progressive functional recovery, and the avoidance of unnecess-
ary additional operative trauma (1). A fracture is considered
unstable when reduction cannot be achieved and maintained
without fixation or whenmotion cannot be initiated without the
loss of reduction. Large (involving O25% of the articular
surface) articular and oblique diaphyseal hand fractures are
typically inherently unstable.
