Condylar advancement osteotomy for correcting condylar malunion of the finger.

Unicondylar fractures of proximal and middle phalanges of the finger can unite with intra-articular malunion, which may result in joint pain, stiffness and deformity. There is currently no satisfactory technique of corrective osteotomy for these fractures. Extra-articular osteotomies often do not give good results and existing techniques of intra-articular osteotomy through the healed fracture site are technically difficult due to the small bone fragment, difficulty achieving stable fixation and the risk of avascular necrosis. We propose a different method of intra-articular correction with a longitudinal osteotomy and advancement of the malunited condyle. The "condylar advancement osteotomy" can overcome problems encountered with the other techniques. Excellent results were obtained in six patients. Copyright 2002 The British Society for Surgery of the Hand.