Macroscopic and Microscopic Analysis of the Thumb Carpometacarpal Ligaments

by Amy L. Ladd, Julia Lee, and Elisabet Hagert

J Bone Joint Surg AmVolume 94(16):1468-1477

August 15, 2012

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Diagrams showing the topography of the distal trapezial joint surface, as redrawn from computed tomography (CT) surface rendering of a normal right hand.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Photographs showing the dorsal thumb carpometacarpal ligaments as seen from the dorsal aspect of the thumb (Fig. 2-A) and from a volar view within the joint (Fig. 2-B), illustrating the

three ligaments of the stout dorsal deltoid ligament complex, including...

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Photographs showing the thin volar ligaments of the thumb carpometacarpal joint.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Photograph showing the ulnar thumb carpometacarpal ligaments from the dorsal view, with the thumb in abduction.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Histological appearance of the dorsal radial ligament (Figs. 5-A and 5-C) and the anterior oblique ligament (Figs. 5-B and 5-D) as stained with hematoxylin and eosin (Figs. 5-A and 5-B) and DAPI

(Figs. 5-C and 5-D).

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Line graph showing the distribution of mean ligament cell counts in each of the five carpometacarpal ligaments from five specimens.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Mixed-effects linear regression with simultaneous pairwise comparisons of the mean differences in ligament cellularity between the five carpometacarpal ligaments.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

Overview of the ligament composition in a dorsal radial ligament sample as seen with use of a triple-staining immunofluorescence technique.

Amy L. Ladd et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94:1468-1477

©2012 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.