Fractures of the hand. Distribution and relative incidence.

One thousand consecutive fractures of the metacarpals, phalanges, and carpal bones have been recorded over a period of about 10 months in Bergen, Norway, to find out the relative incidence of these fractures in an unselected series: this corresponds well with the few other reports of the incidence of hand fractures that we could find. In the total series the metacarpals, phalanges, and carpal bones account for 36%, 46%, and 18% of the fractures, respectively. Fractures of the scaphoid make up 10.6% of the total, fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal 9.7%, and Bennett's fractures 1.4%. The outer areas of the hand are most commonly damaged,--the fifth ray, the thumb ray, and the distal phalanx of the third finger account for half of all fractures of the hand.