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Investigating the minimum distance between the finger flexor tendons and distal radius during wrist and finger positions in healthy people

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Abstract

Purpose

Rupture of the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) and index flexor digitorum profundus (FDP2) tendons often occurs after locking plate fixation for distal radius fracture. This study aimed to determine the shortest tendon-radius distances of different hand positions.

Methods

Fifty-nine hands of 30 healthy volunteers were studied. Distances between the FPL or FDP2 and distal radius were calculated in six wrist positions: 30° palmar flexion, neutral, 30° dorsiflexion, 60° dorsiflexion, maximum dorsiflexion, and 40° ulnar deviation with three finger positions (full extension and flexion of fingers, full flexion of the thumb or index finger, and full extension of the other four fingers). The shortest distance between the FPL or FDP2 and distal radius was noted.

Results

The shortest distance between the FPL and distal radius was during maximum wrist dorsiflexion with isolated thumb flexion. The distance between the FDP2 and distal radius was shortest with all-finger flexion in 30° wrist dorsiflexion.

Conclusions

It is necessary to measure the distance between the FPL and distal radius in maximal wrist dorsiflexion with full flexion of the isolated thumb, as the shortest distance was observed with flexion of the isolated thumb. On the contrary, we recommend measuring the distance between the FDP2 and distal radius in 30° wrist dorsiflexion with flexion of all fingers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata University, 757 1bancho, Chuoukuasahimatidori, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan

    Kanta Imao & Naoto Endo

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata Prefectural Shibata Hospital, Niigata, 957-8588, Japan

    Kanta Imao, Hitoshi Miwa, Kazutoshi Watanabe, Tsuyoshi Satoh & Atsuki Sano

Authors
  1. Kanta Imao
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  2. Hitoshi Miwa
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  3. Kazutoshi Watanabe
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  4. Tsuyoshi Satoh
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  5. Atsuki Sano
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  6. Naoto Endo
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Correspondence to Kanta Imao.

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Conflict of interest

Kanta Imao, Hitoshi Miwa, Kazutoshi Watanabe, Tsuyoshi Satoh, Atsuki Sano, and Naoto Endo declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Human rights statements

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of our institution and all investigations were conducted in conformity with the ethical principles of research, as stated in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

The subjects who volunteered for this study were informed about the design of the study, including any potential risks and discomfort, and all of them provided written informed consent.

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Imao, K., Miwa, H., Watanabe, K. et al. Investigating the minimum distance between the finger flexor tendons and distal radius during wrist and finger positions in healthy people. J Med Ultrasonics 46, 353–359 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-019-00935-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-019-00935-5

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