[Our approach to metacarpophalangeal joints of the long fingers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.].

In the submitted paper the author describes the surgical indication scheme in deformities of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the long fingers caused by rheumatoid arthritis, as used at the Orthopeadic Clinic, Faculty Hospital, Hradec Králové. The author evaluated a group of patients treated in 1984-1996 where a total of 43 joints were operated. The mean time interval after surgery was 3.5 years. As compared with the world literature, comparable results were achieved, the only complication was a dislocation of the endoprosthesis Rubena II in one patient during the postoperative period. It was found that the final effect of surgery of deformities affecting the metacarpophalangeal joints of the long fingers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is complete or partial functional painlessness, marked improvement of the cosmetic appearance, partial increase of the range of functional movements and the muscular strength of the grip and "pinch". Key words: rheumatoid arthritis, ulnar drift of the metacarpophalangeal joints, implantation arthroplasty.