Stiffness of the proximal interphalangeal joints in rheumatoid arthritis. The role of flexor tenosynovitis.

In nineteen hands (seventy-four fingers) of eleven women and one man with rheumatoid arthritis there was restriction of active and passive motion of the proximal interphalangeal joints, with signs of flexor tenosynovitis but no clinical or roentgenographic evidence of involvement of the joint. The nineteen hands were treated by flexor tenosynovectomy (palm only in nine, palm and carpal tunnel in five, both palm and digits in four, and digit, palm, and wrist in one) combined with manipulation of the joint under regional anesthesia. After an average follow-up of twenty-one months (range, six to thirty-six months), the average range of active motion had increased from 40 to 84 degrees and the average range of passive motions, from 57 to 87 degrees. Only three patients had unsatisfactory results, one because of persistent unexplained swelling and two because of recurrence of the tenosynovitis.