Download finger injuries

FINGER INJURIES
OPEN WOUNDS
INTER-PHALANGEAL JOINTS
LATERAL ASPECT:
Risk of:
Neurovascular bundle injury
Open joint – septic arthritis
Collateral ligament division
NB: If collateral ligament is divided joint is unstable (unlike the interossei at the mcp
joint there’s no muscle/tendon supplying additional lateral stability)
FLEXOR ASPECT:
Risk of:
FDP injury +/- FDS injury
Volar plate injury
Role of volar plate = limits extension
PIP & DIP volar plate injury/disruption = unstable joint
(mcp joint volar plate not attached proximally so doesn’t limit extension)
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VOLAR PLATES
The volar plate is the specialized fibrocartilaginous anterior portion of finger joint
capsules that separates joint space from the flexor tendons. At the MP finger joints,
the volar plate is securely attached only to the base of the proximal phalanx and
proximally glides freely in and out of a soft tissue cul-de-sac under the head of
the metacarpal as the joint is flexed and extended. This accounts for the pronounced
hyperextensibility of the MP joints. In contrast, the volar plates of the IP
joints are securely attached proximally to the neck of the phalanx and distally to the
base of the next phalanx, which limits hyperextension.