Thumb Deformities

The fingers and thumbs are used to do everything from grasping objects to playing musical instruments to typing. When there is something wrong with them, it can make life difficult. Common problems include:

• Injuries that result in fractures, ruptured ligaments and dislocations
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinitis
• Dupuytren's contracture - a hereditary thickening of the tough tissue that lies just below the skin of the palm, which causes the finger to stiffen and bend
• Trigger finger - an irritation of the sheath that surrounds the flexor tendons, sometimes causing the tendon to catch and release like a trigger
• Clubbed thumb
• DeQuervains syndrome