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Published on: April 5, 2024
Entrapment of the Extensor Digitorum Communis Tendon Following a Closed Metacarpal Fracture
Amitabh Thacoor1, Jamil Moledina1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St George's University Hospital, London, UK.
Abstract:
We report a unique patient with extensor digitorum communis (EDC) tendon entrapment following a closed metacarpal fracture. A 19-year-old male presented after punching a metal pole with his right hand. The diagnosis of a closed metacarpal fracture of the right middle finger was made, and the patient managed nonoperatively. Following subsequent worsening range of motion, further investigation was performed, and a portable ultrasound scan revealed entrapment of the right middle finger EDC tendon into the fracture site. This was confirmed intraoperatively, and the patient made a satisfactory recovery following surgical release of the entrapped tendon. We were unable to find a report of a similar injury in literature and it highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion for this rare aetiology, the role of ultrasonography as a useful adjunct in its diagnosis and the benefit of early surgical intervention in its management. Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic).

