Effect of micro external fixator combined with kirschner wire on joint function of patients with intra-articular fractures of the finger

Objective To investigate the effect of micro-external fixator combined with kirschner wire internal fixation on the QOL score of patients with intra-articular fractures of the finger. Methods 68 patients with intra-articular fractures of the finger were enrolled in our hospital from February 2018 to January 2019. They were randomly divided into two groups, 34 cases in each group. The control group was treated with intraplate surgery, and the study group was treated with micro-external fixator combined with kirschner wire internal fixation. The treatment efficiency, hospitalization time, operation time, fracture healing time, QOL score, and the levels of inflammatory factors were observed and compared. Results The effective rate of treatment in the study group was 94.1%, and that in the control group was 67.6%, the therapeutic effect in the study group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). The length of stay in the study group [(5.1±0.7) days] was shorter than that in the control group [(7.6±0.9) days], the operation time in the study group [(39.6±5.1) min] was shorter than that in the control group [(80.2±4.8) min], the fracture healing time in the study group [(42.9±8.2) days] was shorter than that in the control group [(58.1±8.1) days], and the clinical indexes in the study group were better than those in the control group (P<0.05). The QOL scores in the study group were (82.5±4.7), (83.3±3.9), (85.7±4.7), and (86.1±4.7), which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(75.2±4.3), (75.2±4.1), (79.6±3.5), and (79.5±3.5)] (P<0.05). The levels of inflammatory factors in the study group were lower than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion The application of micro external fixator combined with kirschner wire internal fixation has a significant effect in the treatment of intra-articular fractures of the finger, which reduces the stiffness of the joints, reduces the operation time required, and makes the finger function recover faster and better, so it can be widely used. Key words: Micro external fixator; Kirschner wire; Internal fixation; Intra-articular fracture of the finger; QOL score