AO Trauma Course—Management of Hand and Wrist Fractures

This course is aimed at practicing hand surgeons (with orthopedic or plastic surgery background), and hand fellows (in US residents who are planning a hand fellowship). It's an interactive and discursive arena where participants are able to understand, discriminate, and consolidate the principles, skills, and techniques applicable to the use of internal fixation in the hand and wrist.

The prerequisite to attend this course is to have previous participation in the AO Trauma Course—Basic Principles of Fracture Management or Introduction to Internal Fixation of Hand and Wrist Fractures.

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Why you should chosse this course

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Course content

Course modules
Extraarticular fractures of the hand

Articular fractures of the hand

Carpal injuries

Wrist fractures

Arthrodesis in the hand and wrist*

*Only in selected courses. Check your chosen date and location for the full program.
Included lectures
Faculty panel—when and why to operate on hand fractures

Extraarticular metacarpal and phalangeal fractures

Principles of treating articular fractures in the hand

Treatment of articular fractures in the thumb

Faculty panel—soft-tissue considerations in hand injuries

Perilunate injuries

Management of acute fractures of the scaphoid

Surgical anatomy, imaging, and classification of distal radial and ulnar fractures

Digital arthrodesis—indications and techniques*

Wrist arthrodesis—indications and techniques*

*Only in selected courses. Check your chosen date and location for the full program.
Practical exercises
Lag screw fixation of a long spiral diaphyseal metacarpal shaft fracture

Lag screw and neutralization plate fixation of a short oblique metacarpal fracture

Fixation of transverse shaft metacarpal fracture with a compression plate

Intramedullary splinting of a metacarpal V fracture with K-wires

Fixation of a bicondylar fracture of the proximal phalangeal head

Fixation of Bennett fracture by applying 2 mm lag screws

Management of a Rolando fracture

Fixation of a scaphoid wrist fracture with a headless compression screw

Management of an intraarticular distal radius fracture using a two-column distal radius plate

Management of an intraarticular distal radius fracture using the dorsal double plating technique

Management of a subcapital fracture of the distal ulna, with diaphyseal comminution and styloid fracture

Arthrodesis of the wrist using a wrist fusion plate*

Arthrodesis of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint (thumb) using an LCP*

*Only in selected courses. Check your chosen date and location for the full program.
Small Group discussions
Management principles of extraarticular fractures

Management principles of articular fractures of the thumb and lesser digits

Scaphoid and perilunate injuries

Wrist (distal radial and ulnar) fractures

Small-joint arthrodesis and wrist fusion*

*Only in selected courses. Check your chosen date and location for the full program.
Anatomical Specimen Lab*
Phalanges and metacarpals

MP (volar and dorsal)

PIP (volar and dorsal)

DIP (volar and dorsal)

Approaches to the thumb

MP/metacarpophalangeal joint

CMC joint

Distal radius

Volar-modified Henry

Dorsal

Extended approach to release the carpal tunnel

Extended for a dorsal approach to the wrist

Distal ulna

Scaphoid

Dorsal

Volar

Flaps (number of flaps depends on date and location and availability of specimens)

Atasoy V-Y

Kutler bilateral V-Y

Cross finger

Segmuller and Venkataswami

Kite

Reverse digital artery island or homodigital antegrade island

Moberg

Dorsal metacarpal artery perforator

Thenar

1st web Z-plasty

Multiple Z-plasty

Dorsolateral

Dorsal metacarpal artery perforator

Radial forearm

Posterior interosseous artery

Tendon repair exercise using four strand repair and epitendinous repair

*Only in selected courses. Check your chosen date and location for the full program.

Course details may be subject to change. Please check your chosen date and location for the detailed program.

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Target audience

Practicing hand surgeons (with orthopedic or plastic surgery background)
Hand fellows (in US residents who are planning a hand fellowship)

Course impressions

Competencies

Perform pre-treatment assessment including physical examination, patient history including comorbidities
Order and interpret imaging, classify skeletal and soft-tissue injury
Decide on appropriate treatment based on skillset and available resources
Apply the necessary soft-tissue repair techniques
Correct any skeletal deformity and apply appropriate internal or external stabilization using the instruments and tools correctly
Evaluate and address unexpected outcomes
Develop and implement a rehabilitation and follow-up plan

What does competency-based curriculum development mean?

Resources

Hand and wrist education taskforce

The hand and wrist education taskforce is a group of experts who build and continuously improve our educational program. It consists of three international program editors (IPEs).

See a full list of all regional program contributors and past international program editors.