Sports Injury-Related Fingers and Thumb Deformity Due to Tendon or Ligament Rupture

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Hand and finger deformities are common in sports due to ligament and tendon injuries.
• High-resolution 3T MRI is investigated for its ability to visualize complex hand anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of high-resolution 3T MRI in demonstrating finger and thumb anatomy, particularly tendons and ligaments.
• To determine MRI's accuracy in diagnosing sports-related ligamentous and tendinous injuries causing hand deformities.

Main Methods:

• 16 cadaveric hands, 20 healthy volunteer hands, and 44 patient hands with deformities were examined using 3T MRI (T1-weighted and PD FS sequences).
• Cadaveric hands were sectioned for correlation with MRI findings.
• MRI characteristics of tendons and the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) at the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) of the thumb were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Normal tendons and ligaments appeared as uniform low-signal intensity on MRI.
• Injuries manifested as increased signal intensity, poor definition, discontinuity, and heterogeneous signals.
• Specific injuries identified included UCL tears (Stener and non-Stener lesions), central slip injuries, terminal tendon injuries, and flexor digitorum profundus injuries.

Conclusions:

• Sports-related finger and thumb deformities are prevalent.
• 3T MRI is an accurate imaging modality for evaluating hand anatomy and pathology.
• MRI is a valuable tool for diagnosing sports-related ligament and tendon injuries of the hand.