Metacarpophalangeal Arthroplasty

Excerpt

A survey of the literature has shown that rehabilitation methods for patients with hip, knee, ankle, or shoulder arthroplasty are available and should be general knowledge of physical therapists practicing in orthopedic outpatient clinics, general hospitals, and extended care facilities.^1–6 However, basic information regarding rehabilitation of the patient with metacarpophalangeal (MCP) arthroplasty is limited. In facilities with neither a hand therapist nor an occupational therapist, it is the physical therapist who is responsible for treatment of these patients. For this reason we wish to share our protocol and have chosen to do so through the following case report.

CASE REPORT

The patient was a 58-year-old white woman who lived alone and worked as a credit manager for a psychiatric group practice. She had a nine-year history of rheumatoid arthritis, with multiple manifestations involving joints of all extremities. The greatest involvement was in the MCP and metatarsophalangeal joints, bilaterally.…