Contracture of the adductor pollicis and the first dorsal interosseous muscles.

Trauma, infection, local injections and even acupuncture may cause fibrosis of the muscles of the first web space of the hand, leading to severe malposition and loss of function of the thumb and index finger. The authors present the anatomical basis for the deformity and the results of surgical treatment by tenotomy or tendon lengthening in 120 hands in 79 patients. Operation produced an excellent result in the majority of cases and the outcome was independent of the severity of the deformity or the duration of the condition.