A woman who has had rheumatoid arthritis for years is starting to notice that her fingers are drifting to the side.The nurse knows that this condition is commonly referred to as:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fingers drift to the ulnar side because of stretching of the articular capsule and muscle imbalance caused by chronic rheumatoid arthritis.Radial drift is not seen.See Table 22-4 for descriptions of swan neck deformity and Dupuytren's contracture.

A Woman Who Has Had Rheumatoid Arthritis for Years Is