Flash information
- Direction
- Towards the little-finger border
- Joint
- Metacarpophalangeal
- Association
- Other finger deformities
- Examination
- Motion, tendons, grip
Definition
Ulnar deviation is finger malalignment at the metacarpophalangeal joints towards the little-finger side.
Examination or reading method
Inspect both hands; document movement and grip, then assess joints and tendons clinically.
Morphological description
Describe deviation, apparent subluxation and accompanying swan-neck or boutonnière deformities.
Causes and diagnostic direction
This deformity may accompany longstanding rheumatoid arthritis; a photograph does not establish the cause.
Differential diagnoses
Distinguish active inflammation, tendon injury and chronic joint damage; other arthropathies may alter alignment.
Associated findings
Assess synovitis, morning stiffness, nodules and other affected joints; evaluate functional impact.
Red flags
Recent loss of extension may indicate tendon rupture; pain and disability warrant reassessment.
Pitfalls and limitations
Old deformity does not measure current inflammation; absent early erosion does not exclude rheumatoid arthritis.
Take-home message
Describe alignment and function, then distinguish inflammation, joint destruction and tendon involvement.
Sources
- Classical hand and foot deformities in rheumatoid arthritis | QJM ↗
- Rheumatoid Arthritis - OrthoInfo - AAOS ↗
Documentary review: 2026-10-12
Media source & rights
- Author
- Amm0nium
- Original source
- Amm0nium · Déformation d’une main · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rheumatoid_Arthritis_Hand.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Changes
- Only proportional resize and WebP conversion; no medical alterations; metadata removed.
- Dimensions
- 900 × 1200 px
- Check
- 2026-10-11