Peripheral joint involvement is a common, potentially debilitating feature of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Joint involvement is commonly symmetrical and polyarticular similar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but it can also be oligoarticular, asymmetrical or occasionally monoarticular. Involvement of the distal interphalangeal joints is a feature which distinguishes PsA from RA. Articular involvement...

BACKGROUND The biomechanical performance of distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) fixation techniques in response to cyclic and load-to-failure bending loads is generally unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of 4 commonly used techniques for DIP arthrodesis. METHODS Phalanges were fixed by one of the following techniques: (1) 2 parallel Kirschner wires (K-wires), (2) ...

BACKGROUND The Bilhaut-Cloquet operation is a combined surgical procedure for the treatment of a symmetric bifid thumb. Although this procedure can obtain a normal-sized thumb with a stable interphalangeal joint, it has limitations, such as the technical difficulty of combining all segments of a duplicated thumb, possible later physeal growth arrest, joint stiffness, and nail-plate deformity. W...

PURPOSE To evaluate the outcomes and complications in a series of children with clinodactyly treated with opening wedge osteotomy of the abnormal phalanx. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all children with clinodactyly treated at our institution with opening wedge osteotomy of the abnormal middle phalanx between 2003 and 2013. Patients with concomitant pathology or prior surgery...

PURPOSE Treatment of Mallet fingers or fractures remains a controversial topic. No evident preference can be distilled from the reports of the clinical results obtained by conservative treatment with splints and internal fixation. If operative treatment is indicated, several techniques can be used. However, each technique has disadvantages like the risk of comminution of the fragment, the risk ...

Orthopedic screw removal has proven itself to be a challenge. Access to a Screw Removal Set (TM Synthes) is essential. But what options are available when it cannot remove a broken screw in a lesser toe on a background of osteomyelitis of a lesser toe? A young healthy patient had undergone a 2nd and 3rd toe proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) and distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) fusion usi...