"Floating interphalangeal joint". A case report

We report the case of a combination of closed extra-articular phalangeal fractures of the thumb, creating a floating interphalangeal joint. The lesions described were the result of a direct trauma to the thumb during the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. It was fixed seven days after the trauma using a percutaneous external fixation with a dorsal frame or Martinique's "Ti'fix" - a modification of the Beaubourg fixator. We describe this simple, economical and improved quality method of fixation. Consolidation permitted the removal of the external fixator a month after surgery, followed by early mobilization. We report the functional and aesthetic results at 1-year follow-up.