[Anatomoradiological correlation of the hypothenar hammer syndrome]

Hypothenar hammer syndrome is all the clinical ischemic secondary manifestations in a stenose even one occlusion of traumatic origin of the distal portion of the ulnar artery. Our objective was to underline anatomical substratum of this lesion and to emphasize the interest of the angio M.R.I. in the diagnosis of this syndrome. The radioanatomical study of the distal portion of the ulnar artery were on 10 fresh corpses of both sexes free of traumatic hurt of upperlimb. On 6 anatomical details injected with latex colored with red Congo, three were dissected to the fresh state to the anterior faces of the distal third of the forearm, the wrist and the palmar face of the hand. The three others were subjected to transverse anatomical cuts of carp after freezing. An arterial opacification by injection of lead minium with radioscopic control followed by a radiography in face incidence was realised on 12 upperlimb. The 3 modes of this anatomoradiographic analysis objectivized the nearness of the carpal distal segment of ulnar artery and the hook of the hamate bone. On 7 carps the ulnar artery passed in the balance of the hooked bone, in 5 cases it followed the radial hillside and in twice the artery was mediale. Four details were not exploited for quality reasons of injection or radiographic incidence. By the fact that the carpal portion of ulnar artery be situated in the sagittal plan of the hook or that it be medial or lateral it always passed near this osseous anvil. This anatomical arrangement objectivized well in a transversal plan by the angio magnetic resonance imagering predisposes this arterial segment to the parictal hurts of traumatic origin responsible of stenose in the long-term.