Thumb Carpometacarpal joint dislocation: Case report and short review

Abstract

Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint dislocation is rare, and the treatment options may vary from conservatives’ strategies to open reduction and fixation. In face of pain and joint instability persistence, surgical intervention is required. We present the case of a 67-year-old male that was referred to our hospital with pain and edema of the left hand, after the failure of a conservative treatment. After initial refusal of open surgery, due to the persistent joint instability, open reduction of the CMC joint dislocation was performed, and stabilized using two percutaneous Kirschner wires after repairing the joint capsule and dorsoradial ligament. Immobilization was required for 4 weeks. After that, the Kirschner wires were removed. Along with physiotherapy, the follow-up showed no pain persistence nor CMC joint luxation reoccurrence while the joint recovered its mobility. Further studies are required in order to determine the optimal therapy for such cases and to provide standardized recommendations, taking into account that the restoration of thumb CMC joint mobility is one of the most important goals in hand surgery.

Keywords

• hand trauma
• thumb carpometacarpal dislocation
• carpometacarpal ligament
• surgical treatment
• kirschner wires