Clawhand deformity presumed secondary to Parkinson's disease

doi:10.1016/S0363-5023(85)80242-2

The Journal of Hand Surgery

Volume 10, Issue 1, January 1985, Pages 19-21

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A clawhand deformity presumed to be secondary to Parkinson's disease is described. No such association was found previously recorded in the literature. The marked limitation in hand function was improved by lengthening the extensor tendons, a 4-tail superficialis transfer to the intrinsic muscles, and capsulotomy of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index and long fingers.

References (3)

FW Reynolds
Hand deformities in parkinsonism
J Chronic Dis
(1965)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (9)

Striatal deformities of the hand and foot in Parkinson's disease
2005, Lancet Neurology
Citation Excerpt :
Postures with features intermediate between these two prototypical positions also occur and are common in advanced disease.12,13,15,17 A claw-hand deformity has also been described in PD.13 Whereas metacarpophalangeal flexion and interphalangeal extension, due to contraction of the lumbricals and interossei respectively, seem to be the earliest signs of striatal hand, hyperextension and subluxation of the terminal phalanges are thought to be signs of more advanced deformity.11
Striatal deformities of the hand and foot are abnormal postures that are common in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD); they can present in the early stages of PD and in other parkinsonian disorders. Over a century ago, Charcot and Purves-Stewart recognised these deformities, which cause substantial functional disability and discomfort. The term striatal is used because pathology in the neostriatum (putamen and caudate) has been suggested to cause the deformities, but the pathogenesis is unknown. Misdiagnosis of the deformities is common—particularly when they occur early and in the absence of cardinal parkinsonian signs, such as tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity—because the hand deformities are similar to those in rheumatoid arthritis, equinovarus foot deformity typically suggests an orthopaedic problem, and toe extension may be thought to be the Babinski sign of upper-motor-neuron syndromes. Here we review the background and clinical features of these deformities to highlight these commonly unrecognised and poorly understood parkinsonian signs.
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Rheumatoid-like deformities in Parkinson's disease with 1-year follow-up: Case report and literature review
2010, Rheumatology International
Effect of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on severe striatal hand deformity in Parkinson's disease: A case report
2008, Neuromodulation
Rheumatoid arthritis like hand and foot deformities in Parkinson's disease: A case report
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Clawhand deformity presumed secondary to Parkinson's disease

Hand deformities in parkinsonism

J Chronic Dis