Table 2

Author, date, and country	Patient group	Study type (level of evidence)	Outcomes	Key results	Study weaknesses
van Niekerk and Ouwens, 1989, Netherlands¹	12 of 23 patients with fractures at the base of the thumb metacarpal treated surgically	Retrospective survey	Limitation of activities of daily living	No limitations	Small numbers
					Uncontrolled
Kjaer-Petersen et al, 1990, Denmark²	41 patients with Bennett's fracture treated variously (9 closed reduction, 6 percutaneous K wires, 26 open reduction)	Retrospective survey	Residual symptoms	No symptoms in 15 of 18 with good reductions compared with 6 of 13 with residual displacement
	Followed up at a median of 7.3 years
Livesey, 1990, UK³	17 patients with Bennett's fracture treated conservatively	Retrospective survey	Residual symptoms	7 of 17	Small numbers
	Followed up at a mean of 26 years		Range of movement and grip strength	Reduced in all patients	Uncontrolled
Thurston and Dempsey, 1993, New Zealand⁴	21 of 76 patients with Bennett's fracture	Retropective survey	Residual symptoms	Less if residual fracture displacement less than 1mm	Small numbers
	Followed up at a mean of 7 years 7 months			Method of reduction immaterial
Timmenga et al, 1994, Netherlands⁵	18 patients with Bennett's fracture. Closed reduction with K wire fixation (7) v open reduction and bone graft (11)	Retropective survey	Thumb mobility	Full in all cases	Small numbers
	Followed up at a mean of 10.7 years		Grip strength	Reduced in all cases
			Osteoarthritis	Degree correlated with the residual displacement
Oosterbos and de Boer, 1995, Netherlands⁶	20 of 22 patients with Bennett's fracture treated by closed reduction and plaster immobilisation	Retrospective survey	Subjective outcome	Satisfactory in 18 of 20	Small numbers
			Development of arthrosis	7 of 20. In 6 of these original reduction had been nonanatomic	Uncontrolled