[Ligament injuries of fingers and thumbs]

Degenerative and traumatic ligament lesions of the carpometacarpal joints frequently occur at the thumb ray, whereas the carpometacarpal amphiarthrosis of other finger rays are rarely affected. The metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of the thumb and fingers are stabilized by bilaterally running collateral ligaments and palmar plates. At the base of the metacarpophalangeal joints, several ligaments of the extensor hoods guide the extensor tendons and coordinate the fine motoric skills of phalangeal flexing and extending. Several annular and cruciform ligaments hold the flexor tendons close to the finger skeleton. Other than at the wrist, differentiation between dynamic and static instability patterns is possible by physical examination. This review article presents the ligaments of the thumb and the fingers, the traumatic and degenerative lesions as well as the diagnostic capability of x‑rays, cinematography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR arthrography.