A study of 221 claw fingers of fifty-one leprosy patients with ulnar or combined ulnar and median-nerve paralysis showed that the severity of the deformity was determined mostly by the completeness of paralysis of intrinsci muscles, and to a lesser extent by the duration of paralysis. There was no predilection for severe deformity in any one finger. Recurrent dislocation of the extensor tendon from the knuckle of the metacarpophalangeal joint was observed mostly in fingers that were completely deprived of all intrinsic muscles. No satisfactory explanation could be found for this. Flexing the wrist facilitated opening of the claw finger, but the effect was more evident at the metacarphophalangeal joint than at the proximal interphalangeal joint.
BT - The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/489648?dopt=Abstract DA - 1979 Oct IS - 7 J2 - J Bone Joint Surg Am LA - eng N2 -A study of 221 claw fingers of fifty-one leprosy patients with ulnar or combined ulnar and median-nerve paralysis showed that the severity of the deformity was determined mostly by the completeness of paralysis of intrinsci muscles, and to a lesser extent by the duration of paralysis. There was no predilection for severe deformity in any one finger. Recurrent dislocation of the extensor tendon from the knuckle of the metacarpophalangeal joint was observed mostly in fingers that were completely deprived of all intrinsic muscles. No satisfactory explanation could be found for this. Flexing the wrist facilitated opening of the claw finger, but the effect was more evident at the metacarphophalangeal joint than at the proximal interphalangeal joint.
PY - 1979 SP - 1060 EP - 3 T2 - The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume TI - Clinical features of paralytic claw fingers. VL - 61 SN - 0021-9355 ER -