Musculoskeletal Key

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Disruption of the normal thumb biomechanics by rheumatoid arthritis often leads to significant loss of the patient’s ability to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs). ▪…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Degree of thumb pain often does not correlate with radiographic findings, which also may not correlate with true degree of arthrosis as seen arthroscopically. ▪ Most patients…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Address the whole patient; treatment is based on patient needs, not radiographs alone. ▪ Surgeon–therapist–patient cooperation is essential. ▪ Meticulous surgical technique and meticulous therapy are both…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The joint destruction and the deformities that occur in rheumatoid arthritis are the result of the interaction between the diseased synovial tissue and the normal joint tissue….

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Tendon transfer is most often the treatment of choice for tendon ruptures in the rheumatoid hand. ▪ The goal for a tendon transfer is to redistribute power…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is one of the most important joints of the thumb and hand, displaying a wide arc of motion with stabilization provided by…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The thumb is responsible for 40% to 50% of hand function. ▪ The two most important goals of thumb reconstruction are restoration of sensation and opposition. ▪…

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Amputation of an upper limb affects physical and psychological well-being and requires…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Each patient must be treated individually. Their psychological, social, vocational, and avocational needs should be addressed in addition to the physical amputation when determining the appropriate kind…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Surface wounds may not reflect massive deep tissue injuries after electrical trauma. ▪ Recent studies suggest that decompression should be performed for the usual signs of compartment…