Operative Intervention for a Chronic Fifth Carpometacarpal Dislocation: A Case Report and Review of Literature

INTRODUCTION: Carpometacarpal (CMC) dislocations are infrequent hand injuries that are often missed in the acute care setting, resulting in inappropriate treatment and significant morbidity. CMC dislocations occur in a volar or dorsal direction, and volar dislocations are traditionally subclassified as either volar-ulnar or volar-radial. While various treatment methods and injury identification techniques have been reported in the literature, there remains a lack of standardization in the treatment of these injuries. This case report reviews the current literature on the subject in an attempt to further our knowledge on the subject. CASE REPORT: A 73-year-old right hand dominant male presented to the clinic complaining of persistent pain on the ulnar aspect of his left hand for the past 3 months. The injury had been missed in the urgent care and emergency settings before his arrival to the office. Radiographs demonstrated a volar-ulnar dislocation of the fifth CMC joint. The patient subsequently underwent open reduction with internal fixation to correct his deformity. Post-operative QuickDASH and grip strength measurements were gathered at post-operative visits. CONCLUSION: This paper provides a literature review on the diagnostic techniques and management options of the fifth CMC dislocations. It further provides a treatment algorithm for a chronic volar-ulnar fifth CMC dislocation being amenable to open reduction and Kirschner wire fixation with an excellent outcome.