Winners
Brian Junnila Claire Jensen Krisit Bernath
Shereaf Walid Rob Klever Kyle Perry
Devon Moore Mike Fernandes Katie Ohlendorf
Bao Dang
Case
A 33-year-old man presents to the ED complaining of left thumb pain after he fell from his horse during a polo match. There is swelling and tenderness at the base of the thumb. You think the patient may have sustained a fracture of his proximal thumb so you order radiographs. One of the radiographs is seen below:
Questions
1. What is the eponym for this fracture?
2. Which tendon is responsible for displacement of the thumb?
3. What is the ED management for this fracture?
Answer:
1. Bennett Fracture – fracture-dislocation involving the articular surface of the base of the thumb metacarpal. The metacarpal base is displaced dorsally and radially by the abductor pollicus longus tendon.
2. Abductor pollicus longus tendon
3. ED management includes placing patient in a thumb spica splint
- You should also refer the patient to a Hand Specialist because the fracture usually requires operative fixation
radER is a weekly contest consisting of a radiograph selected from various areas of emergency medicine that are central to the education of medical students and residents in training.
Filed under: radER
