title: Pathoanatomy and treatment modifications of metacarpophalangeal joint locking of the thumb.
abstract: Ten patients with metacarpophalangeal joint locking of the thumb were studied. Three of them underwent surgical release. During surgery, it was found that the radial sesamoid was seated in a cartilage defect on the volar aspect of the metacarpal head. It appeared that the defect was created by the proximal edge of sesamoid. When the abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis muscles were partially detached from their insertion at the base of the proximal phalanx, the locking could be successfully released. We hypothesize the mechanism of the metacarpophalangeal joint locking of the thumb in our cases was a hyperextension injury that displaced the radial sesamoid distally and radially. In turn, the sesamoid's pointed proximal edge wore a groove in the cartilage on the metacarpal head, and under abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis tension, the radial sesamoid was locked into the cartilage defect; thereby causing locking of the joint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China dr_xiongge@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013933:Thumb / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Locking; metacarpophalangeal joint; pathoanatomy; thumb; treatment