Systematic Review of Ligament Reconstruction of Traumatic Isolated Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Dislocation

Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint dislocations are rare with minimal agreement on surgical management. The dorsoradial ligament (DRL) is the primary joint stabilizer but has not historically been reconstructed. We hypothesize that the reported reconstruction of first CMC joint dislocations primarily uses the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) without collective agreement on a surgical technique.

A systematic review of the PubMed database from 1996 to 2022 was done. Keywords were "thumb dislocation," "thumb carpometacarpal dislocation," and "carpometacarpal joint ligament repair." Inclusion criteria included isolated, unstable thumb CMC dislocations with reconstruction. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines were used.

Four hundred thirty-seven records were identified, and nine met inclusion criteria. Two articles were cohort studies, and seven were case reports. Thirty-seven patients were included, and 26 patients had reconstruction with tendonous autograft. Twenty-five (96.2%) used the FCR and 1 (3.9%) from the palmaris longus. Three patients had reconstruction with a suture anchor. Surgical techniques varied between studies.

The recommendation of the authors recreates the DRL during autograft repair. Current repair techniques that recreate the DRL use the FCR, but quantitative comparisons of tendonous autografts or suture anchors have not been done.