This report demonstrates successful reduction of an irreducible volar subluxation in the small finger, suggesting a new surgical approach.
This report describes a rare case of irreducible closed volar subluxation of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint of the small finger following a sports injury. Closed reduction failed, leading to open surgery, which revealed ulnar condyle entrapment between a partially torn extensor tendon and volarly displaced oblique retinacular ligament (ORL). Flexing the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint to 90° while extending the DIP joint relaxed the ORL, enabling dorsal repositioning and successful reduction. Awareness of this mechanism may help hand surgeons achieve effective reduction.
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Takamoto et al. (2026) studied this question.
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