Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume)

Transected median nerves in the forearm of two male patients, 12 and 21 years of age, were treated with a chamber technique leaving a 3 to 5 mm gap between the nerve ends. The nerve ends were enclosed in a silicone tube of such a dimension that would not cause compression of the nerve. Post-operative examination including sensory evaluation and assessment of muscle contraction force was carried out after 3 years. In both cases there was excellent motor recovery of the thenar muscles. Outgrowth of sensory fibres was remarkably fast, resulting ultimately in functional sensibility allowing almost normal hand function. 2PD was ⩽ 6 mm (12year-old patient) and 8 to 10 mm (21-year-old patient) respectively. In one case the silicone tube was re-explored because of minor local discomfort 2 years after the repair. The former gap was bridged by a smooth continuous nerve-like structure of the same diameter as the adjacent nerve trunk and with no signs of nenroma formation or compression of the nerve.

The possibility that collateral sprouting could occur from intact axons in au undamaged sciatic nerve was studied in the rat by suturing either a 7-day predegenerated or a fresh nerve segment in an end-to-side fashion to the sciatic nerve proper. Following a 14- or 35-day recovery period, the pinch reflex test was performed on the transplanted segment to demonstrate the presence of sensory axons. The majority of cases, using a predegenerated nerve segment hut not a fresh segment, responded positively. Neurofilament staining and histological examination confirmed the presence of axons in the attached nerve segment. In another series of experiments, the proximal peroneal fascicle was ligated and cut. Following a 7-day predegeneration period the distal stump was sutured end-to-side to the ipsilateral tibia1 fascicle. After 90 days, stimulation of the tibia1 nerve proximal to the attached site induced substantial contraction in both the native gastrocnemius muscle and the foreign tibialis anterior muscle. These findings suggest that collateral sprouting may occur from intact axons, perhaps induced by factors emanating from the attached nerve segment, and subsequently make functional peripheral connections.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release has been shown in recent studies to result in a significant number of incomplete releases of the distal aspect of the flexor retinaculum. The significance of this complication is unknown. To address this question, we measured the amount of carpal arch widening after incomplete and complete release. The mean amount of change in carpal arch width in five cadaveric hands after partial release (all but the distal 4 mm) was 0.74 mm, which was statistically significant. The mean additional change after release of the remaining 4 mm of the flexor retinaculum was 0.12 mm, which was not significant. Incomplete release of the distal 4 mm of the distal aspect of the flexor retinaculum allows carpal arch widening that is no different from that of complete sectioning of the flexor retinaculum in the cadaver limb.

Two cases of acute carpal tunnel syndrome due to median nerve abscess as a consequence of Hansen’s disease are reported. Nerve abscess as a cause of acute carpal tunnel syndrome is rare.

We report a case of digital nerve compression in the thumb caused by a fibrous band from flexor pollicis brevis to the sheath of flexor pollicis longus. After release of that band the patient was immediately symptom free.

A 70-year-old woman presented with median nerve compression secondary to enlarged supratrochlear lymph nodes infiltrated with malignant non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Peripheral nerve compression is rarely seen in this condition. The management and prognosis are discussed.

Florid reactive mesenchymal proliferation describes a benign soft tissue tumour found in the hand as well as at other sites. The histological appearance and rapid growth of the lesion may lead to an incorrect diagnosis of malignancy. We describe a case in a 79-year-old lady, unusual because of her age at presentation and long history, and review the literature.

Laser Doppler imaging is a new, non-invasive technique allowing the spatial distribution and the temporal variation of the skin blood flow to be monitored. A mean blood flow value over an area, such as the finger-tip in the present study, can also be calculated. Recordings from 12 patients with a sutured ulnar artery following trauma did not significantly differ from those obtained in 14 controls. Four patients with a ligated ulnar artery, however, showed a slower restitution of blood flow values after cold provocation. All sutured ulnar arteries were found to be patent, which confirms that microvascular reconstruction of an injury to the ulnar artery at the wrist is worthwhile.

Caffeine has been shown to increase mean blood pressure, but studies documenting the effect of caffeine on digits are lacking. We evaluated the effect of caffeine on digital blood pressure and pulse volume in normal volunteers.

In the first part of the study, 24 subjects were given water containing either 200 mg of caffeine or placebo. Bilateral brachial and middle finger digital pressures were measured at room temperature before ingestion and at 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion. In the second part of the study, pulse volume recordings (PVRs) were obtained in 24 subjects at the level of the distal phalanx of the middle finger of one hand immediately prior to beverage ingestion and at 10 minute intervals for 90 minutes. Differences in mean digital systolic pressure, digital/brachial index, or PVR amplitude between the control and caffeine groups were not statistically significant. The administration of caffeine was found not to alter the haemodynamics of digital blood flow or digital pressure in this population.

A sensate, fasciocutaneous flap for cover of posterior elbow defects is described. The flap is innervated by the lower lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm. The flap is simple to raise and can be rotated and advanced over the posterior elbow region with direct closure of the proximal donor site. A case is presented.

The incidence and patterns of degenerative changes within the radio-carpal joint were studied in 138 specimens of elderly cadaveric wrists. Articular cartilage wear of varying severity was seen on the distal radial and ulnar articular surfaces in 27% of cases and on the proximal row articular surfaces in 54%. Wear was most commonly seen on the radial styloid and corresponding area of the scaphoid.

The triangular fibrocartilaginous complex (TFCC) was found to be degenerate or torn in 24%. Central degenerative perforation was commonly associated with articular cartilage wear on the ulnar head and the ulnar half of the lunate. No significant wear pattern was seen in those wrists with peripheral linear (i.e. traumatic) TFCC tears.

Interosseous scapho-lunate and luno-triquetral ligament disruptions were found in less than 10%, suggesting that disruption of these ligaments is usually traumatic and not degenerative.

The distal radio-ulnar ligaments (DRUL) are key components of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). The dorsal DRUL tightens during pronation of the forearm and helps to stabilize this motion. 12 women and three men at our clinic have been treated for DRUJ instability secondary to dorsal DRUL rupture or attenuation. Their chief complaint was pain. The dorsal DRUL was reconstructed using a tendon graft, the ends of which were anchored in the bone of the radius and ulna. This technique has been shown to correct dynamic DRUJ instability in carefully selected patients, decreasing or eliminating pain and restoring normal function.

109 wrists from 69 cadavers (mean age 74 years) have been studied to clarify the pathology and morphology of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and to correlate pathological and radiological findings. Perforation of the TFCC was observed in 65% of the specimens and was considered to be secondary to a degenerative process, because it was often accompanied by degenerative changes in the ulnar carpal bones and perforation of the lunotriquetral ligament. To detect TFCC perforations on plain postero-anterior radiographs, it is important to evaluate ulnar plus variance and degenerative changes in the ulnar carpus. Existence of ulnar plus variance alone is more sensitive but less specific in detection of TFCC perforation than the existence of degenerative changes in the ulnar carpus.

Ulnar translation, carpal height and carpal collapse are methods of measurement described by Youm, by Chamay and by DiBenedetto. The accuracy of these methods has been statistically examined using 65 normal X-rays. The lines of measurement were correlated with each other and more lines were sought to demonstrate better correlation. The validity of these methods was tested on 40 X-ray films from rheumatoid patients. The greater accuracy of the recommended lines of measurement was confirmed.

28 patients have been studied after distal ulnar resection on one side. The operated hand has been compared with the hand on which no operation has been performed, using X-rays which had been taken pre-operatively and 4 to 8 years post-operatively. Only patients with no difference or a difference of only one degree between the two wrists, according to the Larsen classification, were admitted to the investigation. The mean ulnar translation was 5.3 mm in the operated wrists, compared to 3.7 mm in unoperated wrists. Radialization of the ulna following distal ulnar resection amounted to about 12 mm. Wrist dislocation is more due to the rheumatoid process itself than to the distal ulnar resection.

A sensitive non-invasive diagnostic test for intrinsic ligament rupture in patients with chronic wrist pain has still to be found. Differential displacement of the scaphoid, lunate and triquetrum can in some instances be seen during arthroscopy of acute wrist injuries and also on overdistraction of distal radial fractures with an external fixator.

We performed a prospective study on 20 patients with chronic wrist pain using 2 kg and 5 kg traction radiographs without and with the addition of an ischaemic block, to assess differential displacement as a diagnostic criterion for intrinsic ligament rupture.

Arthroscopy was used as arbiter of diagnosis. The sensitivity ranged from 14% to 57% and the specificity ranged from 53.7% to 100% according to the amount of traction and ischaemic block. In view of these poor results we conclude the stretch test has no additional value in the preoperative assessment of chronic wrist pain.

A relationship between scapho-trapezio-trapezoid (STT) osteoarthritis and static dorsal intercalated segment instability (DISI) was suspected. The radiographs of 697 wrists in patients over 50 years were surveyed. In 63 wrists STT osteoarthritis was found in isolation, and isolated DISI was found in four wrists. A combination was found in 16 wrists. This was statistically significant (0.02<P<0.05). It is likely that the static DISI occurs as a consequence the STT osteoarthritis.

The prevalence of basal thumb osteoarthritis was assessed in 143 post-menopausal women. The radiological prevalences of isolated carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis were 25% and 2% respectively. The prevalence of combined carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis was 8%.

28% of women with isolated carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and 55% with combined carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis complained of basal thumb pain.

The incidence of long-term pain (between 1 and 48 weeks and at 2 year follow-up) unrelated to the surgical site following either regional brachial plexus or general anaesthesia was determined. In 834 patients with regional anaesthesia, the incidence (11.1%) was significantly higher than in the 86 patients with general anaesthesia (3.6%; P =0.03). The incidence of pain was not significantly different among four common techniques of positioning the needle tip in the axillary sheath (9.9 to 11.1%). Parascalene blocks had a slightly but not significantly higher rate (16.3%). A regional re-block was not associated with a higher incidence when compared to those blocked only once. A more distal local re-block was associated with a higher incidence of pain (23%). 2 years post-operatively, 0.5% of patients had pain related to the regional block. A significant proportion of patients developed some long-lasting post-operative pain following regional brachial plexus anaesthesia, although ultimate morbidity was minimal.

Tourniquet cuff pain is a significant cause of morbidity following regional anaesthesia of the upper limb. We describe a simple new technique for effectively anaesthetizing the area under a pneumatic tourniquet (the “mini-Bier’s block”), which permits comfortable surgery under axillary block anaesthesia even if the local block is incomplete.

We report a controlled study of 40 patients in whom statistically significant tourniquet cuff pain relief was obtained in patients receiving an additional low-dose intravenous injection of local anaesthetic localized beneath the cuff. This technique ensures that the safe axillary approach to the brachial plexus can always be used with avoidance of pain from the pressure of the tourniquet cuff.

The clinical features of 53 cases of intercalated hypoplasia and 113 cases of distal aplasia are reviewed and compared with each other and with 129 cases of syndactyly.

Tri-, di-and mono-phalangeal symbrachydactyly, and adactyly with nubbin digits are consecutive anomalies. Transverse deficiency may result if the mesenchyme is damaged severely, and if damage is mild and formation has continued, intercalated transverse deficiency may occur. Webbing in symbrachydactyly may result from failure of the apical ectodermal ridge under the influence of damaged mesenchyme.

Thumb duplication is a common congenital abnormality accounting for 6.6% of all hand deformities. The object of the primary surgery is to achieve a thumb with aligned joint surfaces and epiphyses perpendicular to the long axis, central flexor and extensor tendons, and adequate collateral ligaments. Experienced surgeons with an understanding of the abnormal anatomy and knowledge of the numerous refinements in technique cannot guarantee a flawless result.

Of 43 cases treated in this Unit during the period 1970–1989 49% were noted to have secondary deformities. Angulation at the IP and/or MP joints were the most commonly observed problems. Unsatisfactory results were seen with a greater frequency following correction of the more complex deformities.

We report 26 cases of hyperextension injury of the MP joint of the thumb. These were classified into the following three categories; dorsal dislocation of the MP joint or volar plate avulsion; locking of the MP joint and fracture of the sesamoid bone. We report the pathomechanics and clinical features of these injuries.

A rare case of scissoring deformity after closed reduction of a dorsal subluxation of the MP joint of the middle finger is reported. The aetiology and treatment of this deformity are presented along with a modified classification of dorsal dislocations and subluxations of the MP joint.

A case is reported of traumatic fracture and non-union in a patient with isolated distal symphalangism of unusual distribution.

18 patients with Bennett’s fracture were evaluated after a mean follow-up period of 10.7 years. Treatment consisted of closed reduction and K-wire fixation in seven cases and open reduction with osteosynthesis in 11 cases. Overall, symptoms were few and restricted mobility of the thumb could not be demonstrated. The strength of the affected hand was decreased in all patients regardless of the type of treatment. Osteoarthritis was found to correlate with the quality of reduction of the fracture, but had developed in almost all cases even after exact reduction. Exact reduction, either by the open or closed method, should be the aim of treatment of Bennett’s fracture.

14 unstable comminuted intraarticular fractures of the distal radius were treated by the use of the A/O mini-external fixator. The distal pins were inserted in the distal fragment, thus leaving the wrist joint free to mobilize. Clinical results were assessed at 3 to 12 months using the Sarmiento demerit point system. Nine were male and five female, with a mean age of 37 years. Ten fractures were closed and four were open.

11 patients (78.5%) had an excellent functional score and three (21.5%) had a good score. All patients had normal wrist morphology with an average radial length of 11 mm, radial angle of 23° and a mean volar angle of 12°. 12 patients had anatomical radio-carpal and radio-ulnar joints and two patients had a step less than 2 mm at the radio-carpal surface.

This method has proved in our experience to be reliable in maintaining the position as well as allowing early functional recovery.

Simultaneous fractures of the distal radius and scaphoid are uncommon. In a prospective 3-year study we registered 2,330 distal radial fractures and 390 scaphoid fractures, and 12 were combined. Ten of these had high energy trauma; six were styloid fractures, four Colles’ fractures, one was a greenstick fracture and one Salter–Harris Type 2 epiphyseal fracture. All but one of the 12 scaphoid fractures were stable and healed without problems, and one was a trans-scaphoid, trans-styloid peri-lunate fracture-dislocation.

The study supports the opinion that the distal radial fracture constitutes the principal injury that determines the outcome and hence the treatment. If the scaphoid fracture is unstable or dislocated, we recommend internal fixation of the scaphoid. Only a small proportion of these injuries represent a more serious disruption with carpal instability.

Avascular necrosis of the hamate is a rare condition, only one case having been reported in the literature (Van Demark and Parke, 1992). This reflects the relative rarity of fractures of the body of the hamate and the arrangement of the intraosseous vascular anatomy. A case is presented, which was diagnosed by MR Imaging and treated surgically.

In response to legislation concerning the use of ionizing radiation, and to a case in which a patient developed multiple skin malignancies as a result of over-exposure to ionizing radiation, we set up an investigation to attempt to quantify the radiation dosage to which theatre personnel are exposed during X-ray fluoroscopy (screening) in hand surgery. It was found that the risk was small if sensible precautions were taken, but increased significantly if they were ignored. From these results specific measures are outlined which, when implemented, reduce the dose of scattered radiation to which theatre personnel and patients are subjected during screening in hand surgery.

A study was designed to investigate the tensile strength of the end-weave method of tendon repair. Flexor tendons were removed from 13 fresh-frozen human cadavers, transected and repaired with the end-weave technique varying from one to five weaves, with two suture techniques, the commonly used horizontal mattress suture and a new method we have termed the cross stitch. The repairs were then tested in tension to failure on a Materials Test System (MTS) biomechanical testing device. Comparisons were also made to tensile strengths of intact whole tendons, tendon-bone insertions, and distal reinsertion techniques.

Tensile strength increased linearly with the number of weaves for both suture methods. The cross stitch was found to have significantly greater strength per weave compared to the horizontal mattress suture (P < 0.05). Three out of five trials of five weaves done with the cross stitch actually failed at the tendon itself first, rather than through the repair, which was the failure mode for all other trials. The results from this in vitro model suggest that active rehabilitative exercises might safely be performed in the immediate post-operative period after procedures that involve tendon weaving.