Analysis of Punch Injuries: Clinical Characteristics, Management and Outcomes.

Purpose of the study: The aim of this study is to describe injury patterns, characteristics, treatment modalities and functional outcomes after punching related injuries.

Material and methods: Retrospective data of cases admitted to emergency department following punch injury between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. was collected. Patient's demographic data, the dominant and injured upper extremity side, punched object, a time of patient admission were recorded. Smoking habit and blood ethanol level were documented. Trauma mechanism, diagnosis (1: dermabrasions: skin, 2: lacerations: neurovascular structures or tendons and 3: osseous pathologies), treatment modalities were analyzed. Outcomes were assessed using the DASH questionnaire (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand) at the last follow-up.

Results: A total of 1052 patients (male=968 (92%), female=84 (8%)) with mean age 24.6 ± 7.2 included this study. Six hundred and twenty-one (59%) patients punched a solid object and 675 (64%) had osseous pathology. The most commonly fractured bone, injured tendon, injured nerve, and injured artery were 5th metacarpal, extensor digitorum communis (EDC), ulnar nerve, and ulnar artery, respectively. The majority of the patients, (73%) were smokers while 15% of the patients had high level of blood ethanol concentration on admission (82±12.3 mg/100 ml). A comparison between smokers and non-smokers did not reveal any significant differences (p=0.425) in terms of diagnosis whereas 74% of alcoholic patients admitted with lacerations which was statistically significant (p=0.023). Injuries of 321 (30.5%) patients required surgery in the operating room, while 711(67.5 %) patients received interventions in the emergency room setting. The average DASH score differed between subgroups, with significantly higher scores in patients with laceration type injuries (7.2 SD), indicating more disability (p=0.001) DISCUSSION. The study reveales a high prevalence of hand injuries among individuals aged 18 to 40, with the dominant hand being most affected, primarily due to physical violence and self-harming behaviors. Primary contributing factors to this pattern are the escalated incidents of physical violence and self-harming behaviors arising from an inability to manage anger impulses. Punching solid objects, especially during late afternoon and evening periods often associated with alcohol use, was a common cause, resulting in metacarpal fractures being the most reported injury. Multiple tendon and nerve injuries were frequent, highlighting the severity and complexity of these traumas, often necessitating surgical intervention.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the several key aspects, including demographic characteristics of the patient population, common causes and types of injuries observed, and the association between alcohol use as well as the specific injury profiles. Satisfactory results can be achieved with both conservative and surgical treatment for punch injuries.

Key words: punching, fisting, boxing injuries, laceration, blood ethanol level.