This intensive one-day course is designed for registrars in orthopaedic, plastic, and hand surgery working in the UK’s NHS. It is also open to senior core surgical trainees and post-MRCS trainees who wish to deepen their understanding and technical skills in managing hand fractures. The course offers a highly practical, hands-on experience, with a strong emphasis on small group learning and expert supervision.

To optimise engagement and skill acquisition, a virtual theory session will be delivered on the evening (1830-2030 hours) of 22^nd July. The full-day in-person workshop (on 27^th July) will be entirely practical, with no lectures or talks. This structure allows participants to arrive well-prepared, having reviewed the underlying principles and biomechanics of hand fracture management in advance.

The face-to-face practical component focuses exclusively on the acquisition of technical skills through structured, small group practical stations. Each station is led by an experienced faculty member, ensuring a high tutor-to-delegate ratio and personalised guidance throughout. Delegates will work with artificial bone models (sawbones) and will be guided through fracture creation and fixation techniques relevant to common metacarpal and phalangeal injuries.

Practical Sessions:

• Plate fixation of metacarpal fractures
• Lag screw fixation of metacarpal fractures
• Plate fixation of proximal phalanx fractures
• Lag screw fixation of proximal phalanx fractures
• Interfragmentary screw fixation of intra-articular fractures

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the delegate will have:

• developed a structured approach to the assessment and classification of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures, with a focus on surgical decision-making and operative indications.
• gained confidence in performing lag screw and plate fixation techniques on both metacarpal and proximal phalanx models, understanding the principles of stability, compression, and soft tissue preservation.
• identified the biomechanics of interfragmentary screw fixation for intra-articular fractures, including appropriate trajectory, screw selection, and articular surface preservation.
• practised surgical techniques in a controlled setting by creating fractures on sawbones and applying appropriate fixation methods, promoting experiential learning and critical reflection.
• enhanced his/her intraoperative decision-making and technique optimisation through immediate feedback from experienced tutors in small group settings.

Aimed at

• Specialty Trainees in Orthopaedic Surgery (ST3-ST5) or Equivalent Level
• Specialty Trainees in Plastic Surgery (ST3-ST5) or Equivalent Level
• Non-Training Registrars, Trust Doctors and Clinical Fellows in Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and Hand Surgery
• Post-MRCS Senior Core Surgical Trainees (CT2 and above)