To the Editor:
I have with great interest read the article by Dr. Hofmeister et al. on the topic of nonsurgical treatment of fifth metacarpal neck fractures (J Hand Surg 2008;33A:1362–1368).
Though the aim of the study was to prospectively compare 2 methods of cast immobilization for the management of this injury, there was no mention made of the potential benefit of “buddy” taping and immediate active movement, which can achieve good joint mobility without the cost of lost mobility and possibly lost income during the casting period. As a recent article on this topic
1
was published prior to submission of the article by Hofmeister et al.,2
I would be interested in the authors' reason for this omission and to learn how the results of either of their immobilized groups compared with the results of this mobilized group, particularly as cast avoidance would be expected to be more economical both for the individual and for the health care provider.References
- Outcome of boxer's fractures treated by a soft wrap and buddy taping: a prospective study.Hand. 2007; 2: 212-217
- Comparison of 2 methods of immobilization of fifth metacarpal neck fractures: a prospective randomized study.J Hand Surg. 2008; 33A: 1362-1368
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© 2009 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- In ReplyJournal of Hand SurgeryVol. 34Issue 3
- PreviewWe appreciate the comments of Mr. Povlsen and his interest in our article. Prior to the final editing of the manuscript, a thorough review of the publications related to our manuscript was performed using 2 online search engines (Ovid and PubMed) that search the U.S. National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE) databases. Unfortunately, at that time the journal Hand was not indexed by MEDLINE. As such, articles in the journal Hand could not be retrieved by an electronic search.
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