A CADAVER STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DORSAL ANGULATION AND SHORTENING OFTHE METACARPAL SHAFT ON THE EXTENSION AND FLEXION FORCE RATIOS OF THEINDEX AND LITTLE FINGERS
Ck. Low et al., A CADAVER STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DORSAL ANGULATION AND SHORTENING OFTHE METACARPAL SHAFT ON THE EXTENSION AND FLEXION FORCE RATIOS OF THEINDEX AND LITTLE FINGERS, Journal of hand surgery. British volume, 20B(5), 1995, pp. 609-613
Two experiments were performed on the second and fifth metacarpals of
five normal cadaver hands. The forces obtained on full extension and f
lexion of the digits were measured. An oblique osteotomy was performed
on the shaft of the metacarpal and fixed with dorsal angulation. The
forces obtained on extension and flexion of the digits were measured.
The relationships between the changes in force and the angle were anal
yzed. Flexion force decreased and extension force increased as the dor
sal angulation increased, and these were significant beyond 30 degrees
of dorsal angulation. The differences between index and little finger
s were not significant. In the second experiment, the metacarpal bone
was shortened at the osteotomy site, and the same measurements made. F
lexion and extension forces both decreased, and were significant beyon
d 3 mm of shortening. The differences between index and little fingers
were not significant.