RUPTURE OF THE FLEXOR CARP1 RA:DIALIS TENDON ASSOCIATED WITH SCAPHO-TRAPEZIAL OSTEOARTHRITIS

A case of rupture of the flexor carpi radialis tendon in association with scapho-trapezia1 osteoarthritis is reported. The symptoms of pain and swelling contrast with the loss of function which characterizes rupture of other tendons in the hand and wrist. Journal of Hand Surgery (British Volume, 1992) 17B: 343-34.5 Rupture of flexor tendons in non-rheumatoid patients is uncommon. It occurs most often at the wrist and is usually associated with attrition of tendons on an exposed bony prominence within the carpal canal (Hallett and Motta, 1982; Stevenson et al., 1988). Causes of flexor tendon rupture reported in the literature include old Colles ’ fracture (Southmayd et al., 1975), old KienbBck’s disease (Masuda et al., 1987), old lunate dislocation (Stern, 1981) fracture of the hook of the hamate (Crosby and Linscheid, 1974), and osteophytes arising from the radio-carpal joint (Folmar et al., 1972). In these cases