Bennett fracture

• mechanism: forced abduction of thumb

• findings:
  • intraarticular fracture/dislocation of the base of the 1st metacarpal at the ulnar aspect
  • small fragment of metacarpal continues to articulate with the trapezium
  • lateral retraction of metacarpal shaft by abductor pollicis longus

• difficult to keep in anatomical alignment
• complication: pseudoarthrosis
• better prognosis than Rolando fracture

see: thumb fractures

© 2002, C.E. Kahn, Jr.
2002-04-18