Interosseous-lumbrical adhesions secondary to an infection: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Adhesions between the tendons to the interosseous muscles, the lumbrical muscles and occasionally the deep transverse metacarpal ligament can be symptomatic and cause chronic discomfort in the distal part of the hand. Reports about the condition are rare and the causal factors in previous publications are in principle limited to crush injuries and contusion from a direct blow to the hand. We present a case with typical clinic findings secondary to an infection after a cat bite. To the best of our knowledge symptomatic interosseous-lumbrical adhesions caused by an infection has never been described previously. CASE PRESENTATION: Our case report describes a 25-year-old Caucasian woman with chronic pain and swelling between her second and third metacarpal heads. Symptoms occurred especially under stress and developed secondary to an infection after a cat bite. Surgical exploration revealed localized adhesions between her second lumbrical muscle, her first palmar interosseous muscle and her deep transverse metacarpal ligament. The symptoms were completely relieved by surgical release of the adhesions, partial resection of the deep transverse metacarpal ligament and immediate postoperative physiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians involved in hand surgery should be aware of the condition and look for it in patients complaining about distal intermetacarpal pain. The major causal factors for developing symptomatic interosseous-lumbrical adhesions are crush injuries or contusion to the distal part of the hand but it may also occur after an infection.