Research And Clinical Application On Injuries Of Collateral Ligament Of Metacarpophalangeal Joint Of Thrumb In Biomechanics

Objective By measuring parts of indexes of metacarpo phalangeal joint in biomechanics, we try to understand the characteristic of collateral ligament in biomechanics. In clinical treatment, different procedures are used in different injuries of collateral ligament. At the same time different procedures lead to different treating effects. Different treating effects are based on the variety of characteristic in biomechanics of ligament.Methods Ten fresh symmetrical thumbs in cadavers of adults at the age of 20-30 years old were tested. Autopsy was done in two hours after the adults were dead. The middle of every collateral ligament was divided. Then twenty specimens were made. Every specimen was extruded. In the experiment equipment, the curve of stress-strain was indicated by computer. Clinical materials came from 106 patients, which had 107 collateral ligaments in our department during 2001-2006. 107 collateral ligaments included 62 cases of fresh injuries, 45 cases of old injuries. Treatment procedures include non-operation therapy, ligament reparation and ligament construction.Results The curve of stress-strain is linear, which indicates ligament has the character of stress relaxation and creep phenomenon and is a kind of material with viscoelasticity. The clinical cases were followed up 8 months-3 years. According to the standard of Saetta etc, fresh injuries with tidy wound edge are operated with good efficiency. For old injuries ligament reconstruction does better than ligament reparation.Conclusions Collateral ligament of metacarpophalangeal joint of thumb has the obvious phenomenon of stress relaxation. The curve of stress-strain is obvious linear. Collateral ligament has the deed of viscoelasticity. Statistics data form the clinical cases suggest that if in clinical treatment we try to restore the anatomical structure and preserve the biomechanical coincidence, biomechanical character of the ligament can be restored. By the operation the stability of joint is preserved. Thus it can be reached with satisfactory clinical efficiency.