Surgical Intervention for 5th Metatarsal Fracture in the Athlete: A Systematic Review

CATEGORY: Midfoot/Forefoot; Sports INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: To provide an overview and evaluation of the available evidence on surgical intervention for 5th metatarsal fractures in the athletic population. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were systematically reviewed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The level and quality of evidence (LOE and QoE) were recorded and assessed. Return to sport/play (RTS/RTP), radiographic outcomes, complications, reoperations, and revisions were also evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included in this review spanning a total of 761 patients and 765 fractures. The weighted mean age of the study population was 24 years, and the mean follow-up was 33.8 months. Surgical techniques and fracture types varied across the studies, but the majority (18) used internal fixation. Nonunion occurred in 5.8% (11/190) of patients who received a surgical treatment other than internal fixation, but only in 2.3% (11/480) of patients who received surgical treatment with internal fixation. Patients presenting with acute 5th MTP fractures returned to play significantly faster than those with delayed union 5th MTP fractures (7.6 weeks vs. 11.2 weeks) (p<.001). However, reoperation/revision rates were highest in patients who received surgery for acute 5th MTP fracture, of which 8.3% (16/192) of patients with acute fracture underwent reoperation or revision after surgical management. CONCLUSION: The current systematic review showed favorable outcomes for the surgical treatment of 5th MTP fractures in the athletic population. Athletes who underwent surgical treatment for an acute 5th MTP fracture returned to play at a faster rate compared to other fracture types but were associated with a high complication rate and a higher reoperation and revision rate.