["Floating interphalangeal joint". A case report]
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Updated: May 15, 2026

Erosion Identification in Metacarpophalangeal Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis using High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography
Published on: October 6, 2023
M Aslan1, F Duroux, O Delattre
1Service de chirurgie orthopédique du membre supérieur, CHU Pierre-Zobda-Quitman, 97260 Fort-de-France, France. mad.aslan@laposte.net
Abstract:
We report the case of a combination of closed extra-articular phalangeal fractures of the thumb, creating a floating interphalangeal joint. The lesions described were the result of a direct trauma to the thumb during the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. It was fixed seven days after the trauma using a percutaneous external fixation with a dorsal frame or Martinique's "Ti'fix" - a modification of the Beaubourg fixator. We describe this simple, economical and improved quality method of fixation. Consolidation permitted the removal of the external fixator a month after surgery, followed by early mobilization. We report the functional and aesthetic results at 1-year follow-up.
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