Osteochondral autograft transplantation for malunited intra-articular fracture of the proximal interphalangeal joint: a case report

Malunited intra-articular fracture of the proximal inter-phalangeal (PIP) joint sometimes causes problems, such as range of motion (ROM) limitation in the joint or lack of digital dexterity; however, the treatment method has not yet been established. We report a juvenile case of osteochondral autograft tranplantation to treat a malunited intra-articular fracture of the middle finger.

A 14-year-old boy was injured at the right middle finger by a baseball impact and underwent conservative treatment. At 5 months after the injury, he complained of continuing pain and restricted ROM. Plain X-ray and CT images showed a bony defect in the articular surface of the PIP joint of the right middle finger. He was diagnosed with malunited intra-articular fracture of the PIP joint and underwent surgical treatment. First, through a palmar incision, a columnar-shaped drill hole was made at the recipient site of osteochondral defect. Then a cylindrical osteochondral plug, 4.5 mm in diameter, harvested from the knee, was inserted into the recipient hole and press-fitted. One year after surgery, the patient has neither pain nor ROM limitation of the finger and the knee joint. MRI showed smooth articular surface of the PIP joint.

The benefits of our method include use of articular cartilage as a reconstruction material, availability for a relatively large cartilage defect, and stability of the autograft for the press-fitting method, which enable early mobilization exercise after surgery.