Hand surgery & rehabilitation
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We aimed to investigate tendon variations of the extensor digitorum (ED), extensor digiti minimi (EDM), and extensor indicis proprius (EIP) muscles. Our study was performed on 43 fetal cadavers (86 extremities), aged between 17 and 40 weeks of gestation. The number of ED tendons varied from three to six, proximal to the extensor retinaculum (ER), and from three to eight, distal to the ER. ⋯ In our study, 7% of hands had variant muscles. In 4.7% of hands, the extensor indicis et medii communis was observed, while the extensor medii proprius and the extensor digitorum brevis manus were observed in 1.2% and 1.2% of hands, respectively. Knowing the prevalence of the ED, EDM and EIP tendons and their variations in the fetal period should help to treat partial loss of hand function or injury after birth and to correct congenital hand deformities.
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The aims of the study were to determine whether a volar lunate facet fragment is present in 67 displaced intra-articular distal radius fractures and to investigate which factors are associated with reduction loss after treatment with a volar plate and locking screws. The fractures were analyzed preoperatively with three-dimensional computed tomography. ⋯ Loss of reduction was associated with a short palmar cortex (9mm or less) of the volar lunate facet fragment. This study has shown that measuring the length of the palmar cortex of a volar lunate facet fracture fragment may be useful for identifying distal radius fractures that have a higher risk of displacement after treatment with a standard volar plate and locking screws.
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The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected medical treatment protocols throughout the world. While the pandemic does not affect hand surgeons at first glance, they have a role to play. ⋯ We found that the protocols varied in terms of visitors, health professionals in the operating room, patient waiting areas, wards and emergency rooms. Based on these preliminary findings, an international consensus on hand surgery practices for the current viral pandemic, and future ones, needs to be built rapidly.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of tactile sensitivity measured with a new digital esthesiometer (Beam Test) relative to Semmes-Weinstein monofilament analog esthesiometer.
The assessment of tactile sensitivity uses many tests, of which monofilaments are considered the best. The aim of this study was to develop a tactile sensitivity test, similar to the monofilament test, which eliminates the error risk related to manipulations by the observer, and to establish a correspondence scale. We studied 29 healthy subjects (18 women and 11 men) with a mean age of 27.8 years. ⋯ With the DBE test, the normal sensation ranged from 0.4824g to 0.757g and light touch decreased from 0.758g to 0.8062g. The threshold value of pathological tactile sensitivity was 0.8063g. The DBE test could therefore be used for preventive diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in occupational medicine.
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We compared post-operative distal radius fracture (DRF) displacement after volar locking plate fixation using full-length unicortical and shorter-length distal locking screws. In this non-inferiority, retrospective cohort study, DRFs treated with volar locking plate fixation were evaluated on X-rays. In the full-length group, volar locking plate fixation was performed with full-length unicortical distal locking screws. ⋯ The differences in the increases were not significant. The post-operative DRF stability of 75%-length distal locking screws was not inferior to that of full-length unicortical screws. To prevent extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture, shorter distal locking screws and the same drilling depth may be preferable for volar locking plate fixation.