Dorsoradial ligament

A short, thick ligament on the dorsoradial side of the trapeziometacarpal joint, running from the trapezium to the base of the thumb metacarpal. It belongs to the dorsal ligament complex, which histological studies found thickest and most richly innervated, and sectioning studies found it more important for stability than the deep anterior oblique ligament.

Related terms

• Anatomy

  Anterior oblique ligament

  The palmar ligament of the trapeziometacarpal joint, attaching to the palmar beak of the thumb metacarpal. Pellegrini linked its attritional detachment to wear of the palmar joint surface, the classic lesion of thumb-base osteoarthritis; other studies find it thin and capsule-like, and robotic testing suggests it works with the dorsoradial ligament.

• Condition

  Thumb-base arthritis

  Wear of the cartilage in the saddle-shaped joint between the trapezium and the base of the thumb metacarpal. The commonest site of hand arthritis after the fingertip joints, more frequent in women and with age; it causes pain at the base of the thumb on pinching and gripping, and in late stages a zigzag deformity. X-ray severity correlates poorly with symptoms.

Articles mentioning this term

1. FESSH preparation · 2 October 2026

   Thumb-base osteoarthritis: trapeziectomy versus arthroplasty

   Trapeziectomy versus joint replacement for thumb-base osteoarthritis: ligament anatomy, Eaton staging, the randomised trials, implant survival and salvage.

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