Table 7.

Adverse outcomes

Outcome	Study	Injury	Assessment		Outcome; n (%), reason if available		Sig.
			How	When	Control	DD
Comparative
Non-union rate	Ferguson [12]	5MT Fx	EPR evaluation	> 1 y	1 (0.4), zone 1 fracture*	2 (0.6), one Jones, one proximal diaphyseal fracture*	NS
	Mackenzie [9]	5MC Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	–
		5MT Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	1 (0.9)	2 (2.3)	NR
		Radial head/neck Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	–
Secondary surgery rate	Ferguson [12]	5MT Fx	EPR evaluation	> 1 y	3 (1.1), 1 non-union, 2 refracture*	2 (0.6), both non-union*	NS
	Mackenzie [9]	5MC Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	–
		5MT Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	1 (0.9, non-union)	2 (2.3), both non-union	NR
		Radial head/neck Fx	EPR evaluation	3 y	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	–
Non-comparative
Non-union rate	Brogan [20]	5MT Fx	EPR and PACS	> 6 m		8 (1.2) Jones type* 5 (0.75) asymptomatic zone 1 fractures in DD cohort
Secondary surgery rate	Bhattacharyya[18]	Clavicle Fx	EPR evaluation	1y		0 (0.0)
	Brogan [20]	5MT Fx	EPR and PACS	> 6 m		1 (0.15), symptomatic non-union
	Jayaram [28]	Radial head/neck Fx	NR	> 6 m		1 (0.5) in DD cohort, malunion Mason II fracture
Other	Breathnach [19]	Multiple	NR	18–24 m		1 (0.64) poor clinical outcome, referred to physiotherapist
	Callender [22]	Torus Fx wrist	NR	NR		‘No adverse events or clinically significant complications’
	Evans [23]	Hand/wrist injuries	Survey	NR		‘No complications of treatment’
	Ibrahim [27]	Hand injuries	Hand therapist	NR		‘No adverse outcomes’
	Robinson [31]	Multiple	EPR review	> 1 m		‘No serious adverse outcomes’

5MC fifth metacarpal, 5MT fifth metatarsal, d days, DD direct discharge, EPR electronic patient record, Fx fracture, m months, NR not reported, NS not significant, Sig. statistically significant difference, w weeks, y year(s), * it was not reported if these patients had initially been discharged directly