Open Finger Fractures: Incidence, Patterns of Injury and the Influence of Social Deprivation

Background: This study investigates the patterns and epidemiology of open finger fractures. There is little good data about these injuries. Methods: Data were collected prospectively in a single trauma unit serving a well-defined population. Results: Over a 15 year period 1090 open finger fractures were treated in 1014 patients. These made up the vast majority of open fractures treated in the trauma unit during this period. The incidence of open finger fractures was 14.0 per 100,000 patients per year. Deprivation did not influence the incidence of open finger fractures but did affect treatment choices for women. Most open finger fractures resulted from crush injuries or falls and required only simple operative treatments: debridement, lavage and early mobilization. Conclusions: Open finger fractures formed the majority of the workload of open fractures at our trauma centre but usually required simple treatments only. Social deprivation was not shown to influence the patterns or epidemiology of these injuries but did affect treatment choices for women.