Fracture healing in the hand. A brief update.

Abstract

Before the introduction of internal fixation, the healing of a fracture was an unpredictable event. Internal fixation provides stability, and fractures heal predictably. Continued research has allowed better understanding of fracture healing, and the biology of the bone tissue has become the focus. It has been discovered that a higher success of union and an earlier union results from avoiding additional vascular injury to the fracture site. Understanding the vascularity of bone and improved technology has led to the development of smaller implants that minimize surgical trauma and provide sufficient stability.