The Journal of hand surgery
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Case Reports
Tendon subluxation after de Quervain's release: treatment by brachioradialis tendon flap.
Volar subluxation of the tendons of the first dorsal compartment of the wrist occurred in two patients after surgery for treatment of de Quervain's stenosing tenosynovitis. In both patients a painful tenosynovitis of the extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus developed, which was unresponsive to conservative therapy as the tendons prolapsed over the prominence of the first dorsal compartment. A distally based flap of the brachioradialis tendon was used to prevent tendon prolapse, with both patients asymptomatic and free of subluxation one and five years after operation.
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The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve and the medial brachial cutaneous nerve were dissected in twenty fresh cadaver extremities. These nerves have a variable number of cutaneous branches ranging from four to twelve, with an average of eight. Branches always originated medially in both nerves and ran in an anterolateral direction. ⋯ There was a ninety percent incidence of communication between the medial brachial cutaneous nerve and the intercostobrachial cutaneous nerve. The standard incision used for surgery of the ulnar nerve at the elbow will cut the terminal branches of the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve one hundred percent of the time, and the terminal branches of the medial brachial cutaneous nerve eighty percent of the time, if they are not identified. A posterior approach for transposition of the ulnar nerve would avoid damage to these nerves.
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A case of irreducible complete dorsoulnar dislocation of the proximal phalanx of the thumb is presented. The pathologic anatomy included intersubstance tears of the ulnar collateral ligament and dorsal capsule and avulsions of the palmar plate and radial collateral ligament from their metacarpal attachments. The palmar plate blocked reduction, as did the radial collateral ligament that was caught on the margin of a tear in the adductor aponeurosis and on the tendon of the extensor pollicis longus. A review of the English-language literature indicates that this pathologic anatomy has not been described.
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The instep of the foot is an excellent donor site for split-thickness skin grafts to cover soft tissue defects of the palm and digits. The technique is described and three illustrative clinical cases are presented. ⋯ The indications for this technique are hyperpigmentation, hair growth, ulceration, hyperkeratosis, marginal scarring, or recurrent breakdown of a preexisting graft, but we have also employed it for primary reconstructions in selected circumstances. The instep graft provides ideal color and texture match and long durability for a palmar graft, with the added advantage of an inconspicuous donor site.