Simultaneous dorsal dislocations of the carpometacarpal joints of all four fingers. 2010

William J Peace, and Reid A Abrams
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA 92103-8894, USA. wjpeace@hotmail.com

A 57-year-old right-hand-dominant woman was involved in a motor vehicle collision. Upon examination, her right hand was markedly deformed and swollen, with limited range of movement. Plain radiographs revealed dorsal dislocations of the index, long, ring, and small finger carpometacarpal joints and an avulsion fracture of the dorsal aspect of the capitate. Closed reduction was unsuccessful. Closed reduction under general anesthesia was successful on the carpometacarpal joint of the ring and small fingers, however, the long and index fingers remained irreducible. An open approach revealed that a joint capsule was interposed in the carpometacarpal joints of the long and index fingers, preventing reduction. Kirschner wires were placed through the base of the small and ring finger metacarpals into the carpus. Additional K-wires were placed across the base of the index and long finger metacarpals into the carpus, and removed at 6 weeks. The avulsion fracture of the capitate was not addressed. Follow-up at 24 months demonstrated full range of motion in all fingers. Her DASH Outcome Measure score was 1.7. She was pain free, had full grip strength, and returned to work full-time. Whether patients are treated closed or open, appropriate treatment of carpometacarpal dislocations usually leads to excellent outcomes. If closed reduction is unsuccessful, open treatment is required to address any soft tissue that is preventing reduction. Although urgent treatment is preferred, delay in reduction of up to 4 weeks has been shown not to compromise results.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009104 Multiple Trauma Multiple physical insults or injuries occurring simultaneously. Injuries, Multiple,Trauma, Multiple,Wounds, Multiple,Multiple Injuries,Polytrauma,Injury, Multiple,Multiple Injury,Multiple Traumas,Multiple Wound,Multiple Wounds,Polytraumas,Traumas, Multiple,Wound, Multiple
D001864 Bone Wires Steel wires, often threaded through the skin, soft tissues, and bone, used to fix broken bones. Kirschner wires or apparatus also includes the application of traction to the healing bones through the wires. Kirschner Wire,Kirschner Wires,Bone Wire,Wire, Bone,Wire, Kirschner,Wires, Bone,Wires, Kirschner
D004204 Joint Dislocations Displacement of bones from their normal positions at a joint. Inferior Dislocation,Joint Subluxations,Luxatio Erecta,Dislocation, Joint,Dislocations, Joint,Inferior Dislocations,Joint Dislocation,Joint Subluxation,Subluxation, Joint,Subluxations, Joint
D005260 Female Females
D005383 Finger Injuries General or unspecified injuries involving the fingers. Injuries, Finger,Finger Injury,Injury, Finger
D005593 Fracture Fixation, Internal The use of internal devices (metal plates, nails, rods, etc.) to hold the position of a fracture in proper alignment. Osteosynthesis, Fracture,Fixation, Internal Fracture,Fixations, Internal Fracture,Fracture Fixations, Internal,Fracture Osteosyntheses,Fracture Osteosynthesis,Internal Fracture Fixation,Internal Fracture Fixations,Osteosyntheses, Fracture
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016896 Treatment Outcome Evaluation undertaken to assess the results or consequences of management and procedures used in combating disease in order to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and practicability of these interventions in individual cases or series. Rehabilitation Outcome,Treatment Effectiveness,Clinical Effectiveness,Clinical Efficacy,Patient-Relevant Outcome,Treatment Efficacy,Effectiveness, Clinical,Effectiveness, Treatment,Efficacy, Clinical,Efficacy, Treatment,Outcome, Patient-Relevant,Outcome, Rehabilitation,Outcome, Treatment,Outcomes, Patient-Relevant,Patient Relevant Outcome,Patient-Relevant Outcomes
D052737 Carpometacarpal Joints The articulations between the CARPAL BONES and the METACARPAL BONES. Carpometacarpal Joint,Joint, Carpometacarpal,Joints, Carpometacarpal

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