Primary leiomyosarcoma of the small finger treated with ray amputation: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Malignant sarcomas of the upper extremity are rare tumors that can have an overwhelming impact on a patient's function, quality of life, and life expectancy. Rarer still is the malignant tumor of the hand or digits, which represent an incredibly small percentage of upper extremity tumors. This paucity of cases can lead to difficult decision making and treatment options that may not always have clearly established results and outcomes. CASE: In this case, we present a young, otherwise healthy patient that was diagnosed with a primary leiomyosarcoma of the small finger. After her diagnosis, she underwent extensive oncologic workup, and subsequently underwent successful ray amputation with an excellent outcome. She remains disease free. DISCUSSION: Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant cancer that can be troublesome to diagnose in the extremities, as it is usually found in the smooth muscle of organs and the pelvis. Local control of the tumor is critical to successful, disease free treatment. Good functional and clinical outcomes can be attained with ray amputation, as seen in this patient. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates a successful treatment approach to the patient with a primary malignant soft tissue sarcoma who was treated with a ray amputation. The clinician and surgeon must maintain a high index of suspicion of soft tissue malignancies, as a prompt diagnosis and treatment is critical to a good outcome and survival.

Primary Distal Interphalangeal Joint Tenosynovial Chondromatosis of the Small Finger: A Case Report With Literature Review.

Primary synovial chondromatosis is a rare, benign proliferative disease of the joint synovium, tenosynovium, or bursal lining, in which cartilage metaplasia leads to the development of multiple intra-articular and periarticular loose osteocartilaginous bodies. This disease usually involves larger joints (knee, hip, elbow, and shoulder), but it has also rarely been reported in the hand. Patients with this disease complain of pain, swelling, nodules, and decreased range of motion of the affected joint. Due to its nonspecific symptoms and low prevalence, this disease often goes misdiagnosed, leading to delays in patient treatment. In the literature to date, there are only a few reports of primary synovial chondromatosis. In this case report, we present a patient with a rare case of primary synovial chondromatosis localized to right small finger distal interphalangeal joint.

Ulnar Parametacarpal Flap for Small Finger Avulsion Injury.

In difficult cases of replantation following small finger avulsion injury, in which amputation occurs at the proximal interphalangeal joint, the ulnar parametacarpal island flap, rotated 180° (propeller flap), can be used as an alternative method for covering a skin defect of the proximal phalanx. This flap can prevent metacarpophalangeal joint dysfunction and additional finger shortening. We propose the use of an ulnar parametacarpal flap for this purpose and report the outcomes of two successful cases treated with this method and followed up for 12 months.

The Relative Contribution to Small Finger Abduction of the Ulnar Versus Radial Slip of the EDM: Implications for Tendon Transfers.

BACKGROUND: The extensor digiti minimi (EDM) tendon is commonly divided into a radial slip (EDM-R) and an ulnar slip (EDM-U). To our knowledge, the degree to which each EDM slip concomitantly abducts the small finger with active extension has not been formally tested. This study sought to characterize the comparative contributions of finger abduction inherent to each slip of the EDM to observe the sequelae of active small finger extension following transfer of the contralateral slip. METHODS: Eighteen fresh-frozen cadaveric hands were used in this study. Starting with the hand in resting position, a controlled traction of 10 N was applied to each slip of the EDM tendon. The range of small finger abduction with respect to the fixed ring finger was recorded utilizing infrared reflective markers tracked through the range of motion using a digital video camera. RESULTS: The mean abduction of the small finger when the radial slip of the EDM tendon was tested was 13.33° (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.10°-16.55°), which was significantly different ( P ≤ .001) than small finger abduction produced by the ulnar slip of the EDM, with a mean of 23.72° (95% CI: 19.40°-28.04°). CONCLUSIONS: Given the fact that the ulnar slip of the EDM tendon is shown to be the major contributor of aberrant abduction with active small finger extension, as traction on this slip produces almost twice as much abduction as the radial slip, the EDM-U is the ideal donor graft with respect to tendon transfers of the EDM.

Assessment of the presence of independent flexor digitorum superficialis function in the small fingers of professional string players: is this an example of natural selection?

This study estimated the prevalence of independent flexor digitorum superficialis function in the small fingers of 90 violin and viola players. The hypothesis tested was that the independent digital movements required in this population would select out those with absent flexor digitorum superficialis function. Professional string players were tested clinically, using standard and modified tests, for flexor digitorum superficialis function. Two additional physical tests were applied: the gap and stretch tests. These tests assess ring finger movement once the small finger is placed and the instrument is held in the chin-hold position. A statistically significant reduction in the prevalence of absent flexor digitorum superficialis function was confirmed in the musicians compared with a control group and published meta-analysis. This suggests that independent flexor digitorum superficialis function is important for professional musicians playing at an elite level.

Small Finger Metacarpal Shaft Wedged between Ring and Small Metacarpal Bases: a Report of 2 Cases.

We present two patients with a displaced fracture of the small finger metacarpal base, where the shaft of the small finger metacarpal was wedged between the bases of the ring and small finger metacarpals. The striking appearance on radiographs led to initial recommendations for surgery, but both patients preferred non-operative treatment and did well in the short term without surgery.