Fracture of the body of hamate associated with a fracture of the base of fourth metacarpal: A case report and review of literature of the last 20 years.

INTRODUCTION: Fractures of the carpal bones are often difficult to diagnose and treat due to the complex bone architecture of this region. Hamate fractures, particularly body fractures, are extremely uncommon.

PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of a coronal fracture of the hamate associated with a fracture of the base of the fourth metacarpal, which was treated by open reduction and internal fixation.

DISCUSSION: Some of hamate body fractures are associated with other injuries like metacarpal fractures. Its diagnosis is difficult and requires a high clinical suspicion and a proper radiological examination. This fracture is a very rare lesion that can raise questions about their most adequate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

CONCLUSION: After reviewing the literature, we conclude that there is a high rate of delay in the diagnosis of these lesions, probably due to their rarity and to the lack of radiological studies specifically targeting this region. Despite this, surgical treatment in its different modalities has been shown to have the best clinical and functional results.