Hook Plate Technique for Bony Mallet Thumb

Abstract

Bony mallet is a common sport injury, but bony mallet thumb is rarely encountered. We performed open reduction and fixation of bony mallet thumb using a hook plate procedure on a 27-year-old man under general anesthesia. The patient began working one day after surgery. Six months postoperatively, the patient had excellent dexterity according to Crawford’s evaluation criteria and no difficulties at work or playing softball. Tension band fixation, compression pins, and the extension block technique are commonly used to manage bony mallet. Despite the anatomical reduction, rigid fixation, and early resumption of motion skills offered by the hook plate technique, to our knowledge, no previous reports of its application to bony mallet thumb were found. In this case, the hook plate technique was chosen and made an early return to work possible and brought about a successful result.