title: Fashioning a new radial collateral ligament during arthroplasty of the finger metacarpophalangeal joints in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: We describe a technique for reconstructing the radial collateral ligament of the finger metacarpophalangeal joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during arthroplasty. This technique is used in cases where the original collateral ligament is unfit for imbrication. In this method, a new collateral ligament is created using the volar plate of the concerned metacarpophalangeal joint. The technique is surgically simple, has the advantage of using locally available tissue, and has produced results that are both clinically and radiologically satisfactory. These advantages make this procedure a useful tool to have in one's surgical armamentarium.
authors.affiliation: Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand & Microsurgery, Louisville, KY 40402, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Sunil
authors.forename: Harold E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Kleinert
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000601:surgery*; D001178:Arthroplasty; D017885:Collateral Ligaments / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017746:Joint Capsule / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome