Surgical Treatment of Rheumatoid Hand

The techniques used by surgeons of the hand in the reconstruction of hands after trauma are found to be useful in certain patients whose hands have been affected by rheumatoid arthritis. The patient must be carefully selected with regard to motivation and ability to cooperate in the postoperative program. Emphasis is placed on restoration of function rather than on cosmetic appearance and on early, simple procedures rather than late, complicated operations. Operations are described for the correction of wrist flexion deformity, tenosynovitis, tendon rupture, intrinsic muscular contracture, ulnar drift of the finger, dislocation of proximal joints, instability of the thumb, and deformity of finger joints. The operations are designed to supplement rather than to replace conservative measures of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the hand.