katharine-s wrote: ... and now I come to think about it the funny angle of my finger looked like a dislocation.
Hi Katharine
Most definitely sounds like a subluxation of the finger. The thumb on my left hand was subluxated when I caught it on the steering wheel of the car as I was reversing out of the drive. I stupidly let the wheel come back on its own and it just knocked my thumb back. After that it continually kept slipping out of joint to a point where it wouldn't stay in place any more. The joint at the base of the thumb had to be re-grafted and fused. I haven't lost any use though and it was a really successful op.
On my right hand I caught my little finger just like you and that subluxated (it was stuck way out at a peculiar angle and when pulled back towards the other fingers it just went back to its angled position, as if, as you say, on a string!). The hospital put it back in place under local anaesthetic and strapped it for three weeks to give the surrounding tissue chance to repair. It still gives me problems occasionally and I know at some point the joint will have to be replaced. It is a badly eroded joint and it doesn't take much for it to slip out of place.
As you would expect, subluxations have a knock on effect for other parts of the hand and hence the discomfort. I've tried to find a link for you but they're all full of highly technical detail. Basically subluxation is when an eroded joint moves away from its correct position causing pain and odd angles (for the hand anyway!); a partial dislocation. Dislocation is when the joint totally moves out of its correct position.
I would keep a watchful eye on that finger joint and if you experience further problems it will need to be X-rayed to see what is going on. It might just have been a one off, fingers crossed, but it could be symptomatic of an eroding RA joint.
Good luck Katharine!
Lyn x
