BOUTONNIERE DEFORMITY

Course overview

BOUTONNIERE DEFORMITY DESCRIBES A MEDICAL CONDITION IN WHICH THE FINGER IS FLEXED AT THE PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT (PIP), AND THERE IS HYPEREXTENSION AT THE DISTAL INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT (DIP). THIS IS USUALLY A RESULT OF TRAUMA IN THE ACUTE SETTING AND IS CAUSED BY FORCE APPLIED TO THE TOP OF A BENT MIDDLE JOINT OF A FINGER. THERE IS A DIRECT INJURY TO THE CENTRAL SLIP THAT DAMAGES THE EXTENSOR FUNCTION OF THE AFFECTED DIGIT. A BOUTONNIERE DEFORMITY CAN ALSO RESULT FROM A LACERATION ON THE TOP OF A FINGER, WHICH CAN SEVER THE TENDON AND DETACH IT FROM THE BONE. IT CAN ALSO HAPPEN IF THE PATIENT WOULD SUFFER A FULL-THICKNESS BURN RESULTING IN DIRECT INJURY TO THE CENTRAL SLIP. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CAUSES, AND PRESENTATION OF BOUTONNIERE DEFORMITY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.