[Simplified anesthesia for the surgical treatment of severe sprains of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb].

A series a 40 patients with severe sprain of the medial collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is reported. Anesthesia was performed by infiltration of the superficial branch of the radial nerve and the palmar collateral nerves of the thumb via of the flexor tendon sheath, with 0.5% bupivacaine without adrenaline, 3-4 ml each. This technique, easy and reliable (complete success) with a prolonged analgesia, is useful in the operating room and for stress examination or dynamic X rays.