Wrist and Hand Examination (Lecture #2) Flashcards
What are the two main arteries in the hand?
Ulnar artery
Radial artery
What are the names of the palmar aches?(blood)
Superficial palmar arch
Deep palmar arch
What part of the hand does the ulnar artery supply?
Medial portion of hand (think digits 4/5)
What part of the hand does the radial artery supply?
Lateral portion of the hand
KNOW: sometimes lack of blood flow in the hand will cause numbness / tingling / change in skin color
What is the name of the special test that test for blood flow in the hand?
Allens test
How is allens test performed?
* Whats a pathologic and normal amount of time?
Compress both the radial and ulnar arterys at the same time.
Have the pt make a firsta few times which will blanch the hand (cut off BF) - hands turn white
Then let go of one of the arteries and see if blood flow comes back on that side (should go from a pale hand back to normal color)
2-3.5 seconds = normal
>6 seconds = abnormal
What is this and what does it indicate?
Nail clubbing
Indicates cardiovascular or pulmonary disease
What is this and what does it indicate?
Yellowing of nail
Indicates nail infection
What is this and what does it indicate?
Scaling/ridging (looks like a fish scale about to pop off)
What is this and what does it indicate?
Spooning/depression
Thyroid dysfunction
What is this and what does it indicate?
Ridging
Poor nutrtion
What are the 4 creases of the hand?
Distal palmar crease
Proximal palmar crease (proximal transverse crease)
Thenar crease
Distal wrist crease
How to measure gross ROM at the fingers
Proximal transverse crease to the finger tips
Would take a ruler and measure from fingertips to that crease
What are the 3 arches in the hand?
Proximal transverse arch
Distal transverse arch
Longitudinal arch
Which arch of the hand is the most mobile?
Distal transverse arch
Lets the metacarpals rotate around something that you’re grabbing
* hand can wrap around the object in a transverse way
KNOW: Longitudinal arch also has some movement but that movement is mostly coming from the thumb
What bone articulates w/ the first metacarpal?
Trapezium
What metatarsal does the longitudinal arch go through
3rd
This is basically the midline of the hand (doesnt move w/ abduction)
What is this?
* why do they develop
* painful?
Ganglion cyst
spontaneously develop - not painful
If they get to large they limit motion
Where is listers tubercle?
On the dorsal side of the radius
go to ulnar styloid process and slide over find a hole then the next bump on the other side of the hole
What makes listers tubercle approximate - supination or pronation?
Supination
Put one finger on listers tubercle and the other on the ulnar styloid process. Do supination and notice that your fingers are now closer together
Why would we measure hand volume?
To confirm edema
What are the two ways to measure the hand?
Figure 8 method - utilizing a tape measure around wirst and MCP
Volumetric
* most accurate / sensitive to change
* Measure by how much water is displaced
* often utilized by hand specialists
KNOW: Extensor digitorum allows us to extend all the joints down to the DIP
it inserts on the middle phalanx and bifercates and has 2 off shoots that both insert on the distal phalanx
What is the main purpose of the extensor hood?
To keep extensor digitorm down (not let it pop up off the bone)
If there was nothing holding that tendon down it would probs spring up and pull us into hyperextension
OR
The tendon could slide laterally or medially
While the extensor hoods primariy job is holding down extensor digitorum what 2 muscles attaches to it and how does it affect these muscles actions?
Dorsal interossous - pulls on extensor hood to create abduction (DABs)
Lumberciles - runs on the palmar surface of hand then attaches to extensor hood which is on the dorsal surface of the hand
* the lumbercles attach to the extensor hood right at the MCP joint (which is where the extensor hood begins)
* This attachment points means the lumbercles do MCP flexion, proximal interphalangeal extension (because extensor hood runs on dorsal surface) and distal interphalngeal extension (same reason).
* This is why the lumbercles job is MCP flexion, PIP / DIP extension (not flexion at every joint like I thought)
Where does the extensor hood start?
justdistal to MCP joint
What is the lumbercles position (do it with hand)
What position normally goes with abduction of the fingers?
Extension (because of extensor hood connections)
Try abducting fingers in full flexion
What muscle does DIP flexion?
Flexor digitorum profundus
Where does flexor digitorum superficialis insert?
Middle phalanx
KNOW: Volar = palmar
Which two things do PIP flexion?
Flexor digitorum superficialis
Flexor digitorum profundus
What keeps flexor digitorum superificalis and flexor digitorum profundus attached to the metacarpals / phalanxes on the palmar side?
Pulleys
What two tendons do the pulleys keep attached?
Attach flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus attached to the palmar surface of the metacarapls / phalanxes
How many pulleys are there?
5
which two pulleys only attach flexor digitorum profundus?
4/5
Where is A1 Pulley?
Distal end of metacarpal
Which one of the 5 pulleys causes most issues?
A1 Pulley
Because when you grip something most of the pressure is going to be at the metacarpal (bigger surface area to come into contact w/ object). These forces are the 1st metacarap apply that compression force on the A1 pulley which causes it to get injruied more often
Also when you grip something you often do it at the PIP joint and that pressure travels down through the metacarapal
Who normally gets A5 pulley injuries and why?
Rock climbers
Because they’re doing lots of DIP flexion to wrap their fingertips all the way around the rock
May also get an avulsion fracture of distaal phalanx due to the flexor digitorum profundus pulling so hard
Which pulleys does the thumb have (less joints)
A1/2 pulley
A1 = at metacarpal head
A2 = proximal phalanx (regardless of thumb or finger)
What part of extensor digitorum is most commonly rupture w/ Boutonniers deformity?
Around the PIP joint
What is Boutonniers deformity?
A central slip injury or rupture of extensor digitorum
NOTE: Central slip means the central part of the extensor digitorum slips (not that it slips to the center)
What two things normally cause boutonniers deformity
Trauma to dorsal PIP or extreme PIP flexion (which lengthens extensor digitorum)
With a boutonnieres central slip what can we expect of the finger?
PIP flexion
Because this tendon will have slid medially or laterally at the PIP joint. Instead of being ontop of it it will be off to the side - so when it contracts it pulls that PIP into flexion instead of extension
NOTE: this slip happens when the extensor hood is no longer keeping it tight to the dorsal aspect of the phalanxes
What two things will be lost w/ Boutonniers deformity?
ROM is greatly decreased (cant go into extension anymore)
Strength is greatly decreases (the muscle lever system is messed up so it cant even pull the finger into extension)
What do we do for someone w/ Boutonnieres deformity? (3)
Put them in a splint that holds them in extension. If they stayed in that flexion a contracture could happen
gentle ROM (to prevent contracture)
Strengthening
Can we fix someone w/ Boutonnieres deformity
We can help, but if its not surgically corected they won’t ever really have that extension
What joint is boutonnieres deformity at?
PIP
KNOW: Pathologies of extensor hood often create boutonniers deformity because they don’t hold extensor digitorum in place correct and it slips laterally or medially
How long should someone w/ Bountonniers deformity be in a splint?
4 weeks
Is the volar plate on the palmar or dorsal side of finger?
Palmar
Remember palmar = volar
Where are our volar plates (how many are there)
Palmar side (volar side)
One at the DIP joint, PIP, MCP joint
What normally causes volar plate pathologies? (4)
RA / terminal extensor tendon injury, spastic conditions, fractures to middle phalanx
Which volar plate is most likely to be damaged?
One at PIP joint
What is a common presentation of someone w/ a swan neck deformity. Also explain the pathology
Volar plate injury (palmar) OR disruption of oblique retinacular ligament
* NOTE this is at the PIP joint
This plate not being intact or inflammed causes the lateral bands of extensor digotrum (shown on atlas) to slip superiorly and pull the PIP joint into hyper exension
* however - since this joint is in hyper extension the extensor digotorum is pulled taut which causes it to flex at the DIP and MCP joints giving you a swan looking finger
So its all about those lateral bands that split off from the main part of extensor digitorum slipping superiorly (dorsally) which pulls the PIP joint into hyperextension
NOTE: if the oblique retinacular ligament got torn that PIP joint would pop into hyper extension causing this same deformity (shown below)
Which way do the lateral bands slip in boutonnieres deformity?
What about in swan neck deformity
Boutonnieres deformity = slip inferiorly
Swan = slip superioly
What is this made to correct?
Swan neck deformity to push the PIP joint into flexion (which gives more slack to extensor digitorum and allows MCP / DIP to not have to be in hyperflexion)