Peripheral triangular fibrocartilage complex tears cause ulnocarpal instability: a biomechanical pilot study.

Background: Instability at the ulnocarpal joint has many causes, but the common thread among these causes is the presence of abnormalities in the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). However, the biomechanical consequences at the ulnocarpal joint after detachment of the TFCC from the ulnar styloid are not clearly defined. Better delineation of whether peripheral TFCC detachments cause ulnocarpal instability will help to design surgical treatments.

Extensor retinaculum capsulorrhaphy for ulnocarpal and distal radioulnar instability: the Herbert sling.

Wrist pain and instability are challenging problems that may be the result of pathology at the distal radioulnar (DRUJ) or ulnocarpal joints or both. Instability of the wrist can often be attributed to a compromise of the integrity of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), a key soft tissue stabilizer of the DRUJ and ulnocarpal articulations. Subsequently, when surgical reconstruction is indicated, techniques should strive to restore the biarthrodial function of the TFCC.

How men and women are affected by osteoarthritis of the hand.

Factors other than age and genetics may play a role in explaining the onset of osteoarthritis of the hand. Genetic, physiologic, and anatomic differences in men and women cause the variable expressions of osteoarthritis. These different factors affect women's ability to modify osteoarthritis of the hand before and after its onset, although it is genetic.

The role of soft tissues in plate fixation of proximal phalanx fractures.

The tension band effect of plate fixation and the contribution of soft tissues to that effect was examined biomechanically in human proximal phalanges. Forty-six proximal phalanges in whole cadaver hands with all soft tissues in place (intact) and 43 proximal phalanges stripped of soft tissues (denuded) were tested. After midshaft osteotomy, each proximal phalanx was fixed internally with a dorsal minicondylar plate, a lateral minicondylar plate, a dorsal straight plate, or a lateral straight plate.

Role of soft tissues in metacarpal fracture fixation.

The contribution of soft tissues in stabilizing fracture fixation in metacarpals is appreciated clinically, but no quantitative biomechanical study of their role has been done. All previous studies of fracture fixation in vitro have been done on metacarpals denuded of soft tissues. To quantify the role of soft tissues in metacarpal fracture fixation, the biomechanical effectiveness of four fixation devices was examined in human cadaver metacarpals with and without soft tissues.