The Rolando fracture is a type of
broken finger
A broken finger or finger fracture is a common type of bone fracture, affecting a finger. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, tenderness, bruising, deformity and reduced ability to move the finger. Although most finger fractures are easy to trea ...
involving the
base of the thumb.
It is an
intra-articular
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
fracture
Fracture is the separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacement discontinuity surfaces within the solid. If a displ ...
.
It was first described in 1910 by Silvio Rolando.
[Rolando S. Fracture de la base du premier metacarpien et principalement sur une variete` non encore e`crite. Presse Med 1910;33:303–4 n French] It is typically T- or Y-shaped.
Treatment
There are several proposed methods of treatment. The quality of reduction does not correlate with late symptoms and osteoarthritic changes. Despite this fact, the joint surface should be restored as close to its anatomical position as possible.
Some advocate fixation with Kirschner wires, or plate and screw constructions.
Another accepted treatment is an
external fixator
External fixation is a surgical treatment wherein rods are screwed into bone and exit the body to be attached to a stabilizing structure on the outside of the body. It is an alternative to internal fixation, where the components used to provide ...
accompanied by the tension band wiring technique.
Tension band wiring is a technique in which the bone fragments are transfixed by
Kirschner wire
Kirschner wires or K-wires or pins are sterilized, sharpened, smooth stainless steel pins. Introduced in 1909 by Martin Kirschner, the wires are now widely used in orthopedics and other types of medical and veterinary surgery. They come in differ ...
s, which are then also used as an anchor for a loop of flexible wire. As the loop is tightened the bone fragments are compressed together.
Prognosis
The Rolando fracture is less common than the
Bennett's fracture
Bennett fracture is a type of partial broken finger involving the base of the thumb, and extends into the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint.
Treatment typically requires surgery.
This intra-articular fracture is the most common type of fracture ...
, and is associated with a worse prognosis.
History
It was first described in 1910 by
Silvio Rolando
Silvio () is an Italian male name, the male equivalent of Silvia. Sílvio is a variant of the name in Portuguese. It is derived from the Latin "Silvius", meaning "spirit of the wood," and may refer to:
People
* Silvio Berlusconi (born 1936), Ita ...
.
[
]
See also
* Bennett's fracture
Bennett fracture is a type of partial broken finger involving the base of the thumb, and extends into the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint.
Treatment typically requires surgery.
This intra-articular fracture is the most common type of fracture ...
* Boxer's fracture
A boxer's fracture is the break of the 5th metacarpal bones of the hand near the knuckle. Occasionally it is used to refer to fractures of the 4th metacarpal as well. Symptoms include pain and a depressed knuckle.
Classically, it occurs after ...
* Gamekeeper's thumb
Gamekeeper's thumb (also known as skier's thumb or UCL tear) is a type of injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb. The UCL may be merely stretched, or it may be torn from its insertion site into the proximal phalanx of the thumb ...
References
;Bibliography
*
Further reading
*
External links
{{Fractures , state=collapsed
Bone fractures
Injuries of wrist and hand