Der Unfallchirurg
-
A 24-year-old man was bitten on his right forefinger by his black mamba while he was feeding the animal. The primary symptoms caused by a full injection of the snake's venom therefore presented a life-threating situation. Due to pre-hospital troubleshooting of the emergency medical service and the timely administration of the antivenom further potentially harmful effects caused by the snakes venom were avoided.
-
Closed tendon ruptures of the thumb that require secondary reconstruction can affect the extensor pollicis longus (EPL), extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) and flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendons. Treatment of rupture of the EPB tendon consists of refixation to the bone and temporary transfixation of the joint. In the case of preexisting or posttraumatic arthrosis, definitive arthrodesis of the thumb is the best procedure. ⋯ Closed FPL ruptures at the wrist typically occur 3-6 months after osteosynthesis of distal radius fractures with palmar plates and are mostly characterized by crepitation and pain lasting for several weeks. They can be prevented by premature plate removal, synovectomy and carpal tunnel release. For treatment of a ruptured FPL tendon in adult patients the options for tendon reconstruction should be weighed up against the less complicated tenodesis or arthrodesis of the thumb interphalangeal joint.
-
The role of joint replacement in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint is a subject of considerable controversy in the current literature. In German-speaking countries this technique is used much less frequently than resection procedures. Aseptic loosening of the prosthesis is believed to be the major cause of the high failure rates reported for cemented and uncemented types of implants. ⋯ Aseptic loosening is reported to be the major cause with failure rates of 50 % or more. Although a Norwegian study reported high 5 and 10-year survival rates for various thumb carpometacarpal joint prostheses according to the Norwegian arthroplasty registry, it did not recommend the widespread use of thumb carpometacarpal joint replacement at the present time. In our opinion, joint replacement may be considered as a possible treatment option for advanced osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint but it should not always be recommended because long-term results are inconsistent and similar functional outcomes have been reported for alternative surgical techniques, such as resection arthroplasty.
-
In patients with carpometacarpal osteoarthritis of the thumb, treatment strategies should be based on functional impairment and pain. Although X‑ray imaging is an integral component of the diagnostics, it is of subordinate importance for the therapy algorithm. Conservative therapy is always the first step in the chain of treatment. ⋯ In this case isolated trapeziectomy is the method of choice. Suspension (interpositioning) arthroplasty is not associated with improved clinical results. More recent procedures which aim to avoid proximalization by tendon interposition, have not yet shown better clinical outcome compared to trapeziectomy alone.
-
Fractures of the first thumb ray are common and need accurate differential treatment to restore gripping hand functions. Displaced fractures of the distal and proximal phalanx of the thumb are often treated with screws or Kirschner wires. Stable fractures can also be treated non-operatively. Fractures of the base of the first metacarpal should be differentiated into extra-articular Winterstein fractures and intra-articular Bennett or Rolando fractures. ⋯ Good functional results can be achieved by operative treatment. Fractures of the trapezium are rare. If they are displaced, operative treatment is recommended to prevent osteoarthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint.