ABSTRACT

Fractures of the hand and wrist are frequently encountered in military hospitals. The mechanism of the injury, injured bones, type of the treatment and the duration of unemployment were evaluated in 127 patients (126 male) who admitted to Diyarbakýr Military Hospital with hand and wrist injuries between January 2002 and December 2004. In the study population 156 fractures were detected. The most frequent mechanism causing fractures was falling on outstreched hand (56%), and metacarpal bones were the most commonly fractured ones (35%). Mean duration of unemployment due to injuries of the hand and wrist was 37.5 days. A great burden rests over the shoulders of orthopedic surgeon and radiologist in the means of diagnosis and treatment when considering the complications developing in 4.7% of the cases and long unemployment periods. Considering that the majority of the cases are male and from the Turkish army indicates also the importance of military recruit education.