CAPITAL FRACTURE WITH CARPAL LUXATION - R EVIEW AND A CASE-REPORT

Capitate fractures are serious and rare carpal injuries. A case of a c losed, isolated capitate fracture is presented. The largest fragment o f the capitate, which was fractured at its waist, was dislocated with the wrist twisted in an ulnodorsal orientation. The supposed traumatic cause of the capitate fracture was a fall onto the outstretched and u lnar-deviated hand. After open reduction, osteosynthesis with K-wires was performed. Immobilization for 6 weeks in a plaster-of-Paris cast f ollowed. The excellent functional result (according to the modified ev aluation scale of Pechlaner/Beck) obtained after 15 months is demonstr ated. Diagnosis and subsequent therapy should be as aggressive as in t he case of scaphoid fractures. Different modalities and possible compl ications of an operative treatment are discussed.