Radiocarpal arthroscopy and arthrography in the diagnosis of ulnar wrist pain

The purpose of this prospective study was to compare arthroscopy with arthrography in the diagnosis of ulnar wrist pain. Thirty-seven consecutive patients with ulnar wrist pain but normal routine and stress radiographs had dynamic and static radiocarpal arthrograms (R.G.H.) and arthroscopy (J.H.R.) performed. Sixteen arthrograms demonstrated a leak of contrast into the distal radioulnar joint. Arthroscopy demonstrated a perforation of the triangular fibrocartilage complex in all 16. Seven arthrograms demonstrated a leak of contrast into the midcarpal joint. Arthroscopy demonstrated lunotriquetral instability in two and no abnormality in five. Seventeen arthrograms showed no abnormality. Arthroscopy confirmed no abnormality in nine but also demonstrated seven triangular fibrocartilage perforations and one case of isolated lunate chondromalacia. Arthroscopy findings were confirmed in eight patients who underwent a subsequent arthrotomy. Radiocarpal arthroscopy is superior to arthrography in the diagnosis of chronic ulnar wrist pain.     

The role of midcarpal arthroscopy in the diagnosis of disorders of the wrist.

The findings of midcarpal versus radiocarpal arthroscopic examinations were compared in the diagnosis of a variety of wrist pathology in 89 patients. During 15 months 89 midcarpal arthroscopic examinations were performed in conjunction with radiocarpal arthroscopic examinations. Eighty-one wrists underwent arthroscopy for acute or chronic intracarpal instability. Eight wrists underwent arthroscopy for arthroscopy-assisted intra-articular distal radius fracture reduction. In the acute wrist instability group midcarpal arthroscopy added to the radiocarpal diagnosis in 21 of 26 (82%) of the wrists. In the chronic wrist instability group midcarpal arthroscopy added to the radiocarpal diagnosis in 46 of 55 (84%) of the wrists. In the distal radius group 5 of 8 wrists had additional pathology on the midcarpal arthroscopy examination, leading to additional surgical intervention. These results demonstrate that midcarpal arthroscopy added statistically significant information to the radiocarpal examination compared with wrist arthroscopy performed without a midcarpal examination.     

Techniques of Wrist Arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy is a promising new technique for the evaluation of wrist pain or dysfunction. Cadaveric wrist specimens were used to devise safe and advantageous entry portals for arthroscopy and to establish respective advantages for each portal. Thirty-five clinical cases were used to correlate the laboratory experience and to refine a reproducible surgical technique. Seven portals are useful: five in the radiocarpal interval, one in the midcarpal area, and one in the distal radioulnar joint space. Detailed wrist anatomy is reviewed in this paper and must be thoroughly understood to interpret arthroscopic views. Blunt subcutaneous dissection protects cutaneous nerve branches at the various portals. Intraoperative photographs illustrate the excellent perspectives achieved using these techniques.     

Techniques of wrist arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy is a promising new technique for the evaluation of wrist pain or dysfunction. Cadaveric wrist specimens were used to devise safe and advantageous entry portals for arthroscopy and to establish respective advantages for each portal. Thirty-five clinical cases were used to correlate the laboratory experience and to refine a reproducible surgical technique. Seven portals are useful: five in the radiocarpal interval, one in the midcarpal area, and one in the distal radioulnar joint space. Detailed wrist anatomy is reviewed in this paper and must be thoroughly understood to interpret arthroscopic views. Blunt subcutaneous dissection protects cutaneous nerve branches at the various portals. Intraoperative photographs illustrate the excellent perspectives achieved using these techniques.     

Carpus und distales Radioulnargelenk

A precise medical history and specific symptom-oriented clinical tests of the wrist joint should always precede any radiological, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics. In many cases, specific clinical tests of the wrist joint allow at least a preliminary diagnosis, which can be supported by standard radiography using correct projections. A systematic approach is recommended covering the radiocarpal, midcarpal, ulnocarpal and distal radioulnar joints. Exact identification of the palpable anatomic landmarks is mandatory for correct application and interpretation of the various clinical tests. The results of the clinical tests in combination with radiological imaging can often detect precisely ruptures of distinct wrist joint ligaments and localized arthritis.     

Instrumentation for small joints: the arthroscope

This first of three articles on arthroscopy of small joints is a brief overview of the current arthroscopes and the modifications that have made arthroscopy of small joint spaces possible. Those modifications include angulation at 25-30 degrees, improved low-light, high-resolution chip cameras, and use without a bulky camera adapter. The largest possible arthroscope should be used, but size is limited in diameter to 2.0 mm for the distal radioulnar and temporomandibular joints, 2.7 mm for the midcarpal joint, and 3.0 mm for the radiocarpal joint. The need to have high-quality repair service available is stressed.     

Radioscapholunate arthrodesis

Although RSL fusion is a viable option for isolated radiocarpal arthritis, the enthusiasm for this procedure should be tempered with the reality that kinematics of the wrist is not entirely suited for independent midcarpal flexion and extension [10]. Limited wrist flexion and extension is expected following a successful RSL arthrodesis. The effects of imposed abnormal kinematics are further shown by the high incidence of RSL nonunions, occurrence of scaphoid fractures, and postoperative deterioration of the midcarpal joint [15,22]. In a young patient with posttraumatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis limited to the radiocarpal joint, however, RSL arthrodesis remains a viable alternative to complete wrist arthrodesis if the midcarpal joint is normal. Internal fixation with plates and screws and distal scaphoid excision are technical alternatives to consider when an RSL arthrodesis is performed.     

Radioulnar joint fusion for distal radioulnar joint instability

Each one of this small group of patients illustrates a rare indication for the radioulnar joint fusion procedure in distal radioulnar joint instability. The case histories tell of a last ditch effort to salvage function in an extremity crippled by painful radioulnar instability after excision of the distal ulna. The fusions healed slowly and two required repeat surgery to achieve union. Today we would routinely add iliac bone graft to the fusion area to hasten healing. Rarely indicated, this is a salvage procedure that is done after failure of other procedures geared to preserve the rotation of the forearm. These patients all had successful salvage of their extremities for activities of daily living, but only one returned to his labor job. All were worker's compensation cases in physical jobs. Two patients had had prior radiocarpal fusions, making them even more restricted in function. This procedure should be kept in mind to be used in the rare cases of painful instability of the distal radioulnar joint when traditional motion-preserving procedures have failed.     

Digital subtraction arthrography of the wrist

Digital subtraction arthrography of the wrist was used to identify abnormalities in eighty-six (60 per cent) of 139 patients during a fifteen-month period. Multiple abnormalities were noted in thirty-four (25 per cent) of the wrists. The clinical signs and symptoms in the eighty-six wrists did not always correlate with the defects that were seen on the arthrograms. Three of five patients who had an isolated tear of the scapholunate ligament, six of thirteen who had an isolated tear of the lunotriquetral ligament, and seven of nineteen who had an isolated tear of the triangular fibrocartilage complex also had signs and symptoms on the opposite side of the wrist. Many of the lesions that were seen on arthrography may have been serendipitous, degenerative, or unrelated to a specific injury. There was a high prevalence of positive ulnar variance in patients who had at least one ulnar abnormality. Capsular tears, most often seen on the radiovolar aspect of the wrist, were best outlined by contrast medium injected into the radiocarpal joint. The arthroscopic findings differed from the arthrographic findings in five of the twenty patients in whom both studies were done. The three-compartment technique of injection is a valuable diagnostic tool. Injections of contrast medium into the distal radio-ulnar joint outlined five of thirteen tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex that were not seen after injection into the radiocarpal joint. Of the eleven tears that were seen after injection into the radiocarpal joint, five were not seen when contrast medium was injected into the distal radio-ulnar joint.     

Ulnocarpal impaction syndrome restricts even midcarpal range of motion.

Ulnocarpal impaction syndrome is believed to be caused by abutment between the ulna and the ulnar carpus. We measured radiocarpal and midcarpal ranges of motion in 40 patients with ulnocarpal impaction syndrome by radiographic motion studies. The results showed that the radiocarpal and midcarpal ranges of motion were equally restricted in the affected wrist compared with the unaffected wrist. Therefore, motion of the radiocarpal joint and midcarpal joint contributed equally to total wrist motion bilaterally. No correlation between ulnar variance and the contribution of radiocarpal motion to overall wrist motion was found. Restriction of wrist motion in ulnocarpal impaction syndrome is not caused directly by abutment between the ulna and ulnar carpus, but a satisfactory explanation for restricted motion is still lacking.     

The Sauvé-Kapandji procedure: a salvage operation for the distal radioulnar joint.

The Sauvé-Kapandji procedure, a distal radioulnar arthrodesis with surgical creation of a pseudoarthrosis in the distal ulna, was used to treat 11 patients. Although all patients had had at least one previous operation on the involved wrist, they were still having pain and functional limitations. Ten patients were available for follow-up, which averaged 33 months. Of the nine patients with posttraumatic arthritis, six had excellent results (a painless wrist that averaged 82 degrees of pronation and 83 degrees of supination). Three patients had good results (mild pain during activities with an identical range of forearm rotation). One patient who had rheumatoid arthritis had an excellent result for 3 years but recently had a radiocarpal wrist fusion because of radiocarpal arthritis. We have found the Sauvé-Kapandji procedure to be a reliable treatment option for intractable disorders of the distal radioulnar joint and recommend it as a salvage procedure when previous treatment has failed.     

Wrist arthrofibrosis

Wrist arthrofibrosis is a condition of decreased range of wrist motion due to intrinsic adhesions and extrinsic contracture. It is clinically characterized by restricted wrist range of motion, pain, swelling, and a plateau in improvement after at least 6 months of intensive physiotherapy. Other conditions must be excluded, such as articular incongruity, arthritis, spasticity, skin and subcutaneous scarring, and loose bodies. We have devised a classification system based on pathologic anatomic location, where Type I represents intrinsic adhesions, and Type II represents extrinsic contracture. The types are subdivided according to where the pathology is present. The operative approach should be wrist arthroscopy for Types IA (radiocarpal adhesions) and IB (midcarpal adhesions) where intraarticular adhesions are present. Types IC (distal radioulnar joint adhesions) and II C (distal radioulnar joint capsular contracture) are best approached in an open manner where dorsal and palmar capsulectomies of the distal radioulnar joint are performed. For Types IIA, B, and D (dorsal, palmar, and combination extrinsic contracture, respectively), both open and arthroscopic methods are described.     

Treatment of radiocarpal degenerative osteoarthritis by radioscapholunate arthrodesis and distal scaphoidectomy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess wrist pain, range of motion, and the presence of radiographic midcarpal degenerative joint disease (DJD) in patients who had a distal scaphoidectomy in association to a radioscapholunate (RSL) arthrodesis and to compare these findings with prior studies of patients with only an RSL fusion. METHODS: Sixteen patients with radiocarpal DJD treated by RSL arthrodesis and distal scaphoidectomy were evaluated retrospectively for pain relief and range of motion at an average follow-up period of 37 months (range, 12-84 mo). Radiographs were assessed for the presence of secondary radiographic midcarpal DJD. RESULTS: Complete pain relief was obtained in 10 patients, 3 patients complained of slight pain during strenuous loading, and 3 patients had occasional pain with regular activities. The average postoperative ranges of motion were 32 degrees of flexion, 35 degrees of extension, 14 degrees of radial deviation, and 19 degrees of ulnar deviation. Two patients exhibited secondary midcarpal DJD. These results are significantly better compared with those previously published about RSL arthrodesis alone in terms of residual pain and decrease of wrist radial deviation and flexion. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who require an RSL arthrodesis for the treatment of severe localized radiocarpal DJD appear to have less pain and to retain more flexion and radial deviation if the distal scaphoid is excised concomitantly. This associated procedure also may help prevent secondary midcarpal DJD.     

20-Year outcome of TFCC repairs

The aims of this study were to investigate the functional result and rate of osteoarthritis 15–25?years after a TFCC-repair. Forty-seven patients completed the questionnaire Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE), and 43 had new X-rays. Fifty-seven percent had a simultaneous arthroscopy. Sixteen patients had later additional surgery to the wrist, of these eight had a reoperation of the TFCC-injury due to recurrent instability. Radiographs showed that 17.5% had developed radiocarpal osteoarthritis and 34% osteoarthritis in the distal radioulnar joint. The median PRWE result was 22.5. Patients with radiocarpal osteoarthritis and patients who had additional surgery had significantly worse scores. Patients who had undergone arthroscopy significantly less often had developed radiocarpal osteoarthritis. The result is acceptable but not impressive and efforts should be made to diagnose these injuries early and also diagnose associated injuries, advisably by arthroscopy.     

桡骨远端骨折对下尺桡关节稳定性的影响

目的:分析桡骨远端骨折后腕部功能与下尺桡关节稳定性之间的关系,探讨桡骨远端骨折影响下尺桡关节稳定性的原因。方法:85例桡骨远端骨折患者,男27例,女58例;年龄17~74岁,平均42.3岁。采用手法复位石膏外固定治疗,伤后6~9个月(平均6.7个月)摄腕关节正侧位X线CR片,检查下尺桡关节稳定性,采用Sarmiento改良的Gartland-Werley评分系统(GW评分)对腕部进行功能评估。结果:85例获得6~9个月随访,平均6.7个月。19例有下尺桡关节不稳定。下尺桡关节不稳与放射学检查下尺桡关节情况之间无明显的联系。下尺桡关节不稳的患者GW评分平均为12.37±5.899,稳定的患者GW评分平均为6.85±4.222,差异有统计学意义。尺骨茎突是否骨折其GW评分差异无统计学意义。是否有尺骨茎突骨折其下尺桡关节不稳发生率比较差异无统计学意义。结论:明显成角或短缩畸形的桡骨远端骨折损伤三角纤维软骨复合体可能是造成下尺桡关节不稳、影响腕部功能的主要原因。伴随桡骨远端骨折的尺骨茎突骨折对下尺桡关节稳定性无明显影响。     

The role of radiocarpal injection arthrography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the radiocarpal joint injection arthrography and magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injuries. METHODS: Thirteen cases whose main complaints were ulnar wrist pain were given radiocarpal joint arthrography and eight of them were also given magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating the integrity of the triangular fibrocartilage complex. RESULTS: Ten of thirteen cases presented the leakage of contrast medium to distal radioulnar joint from the radiocarpal joint, in whom, 8 were demonstrated triangular fibrocartilage tear on magnetic resonance imaging, and 3 located at radial side, 2 at central, 3 at ulnar side. One of three cases which were demonstrated without the leakage of contrast medium in arthrography were displayed with marked TFCC tear on magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSIONS: The wrist arthrography can provide a definite diagnosis for triangular fibrocartilage disruption with higher sensitivity. magnetic resonance imaging not only demonstrates the site of triangular fibrocartilage disruption as the same value as wrist arthrography, but also displays the other related bony and soft tissues changes.     

The Diagnostic Utility of Midcarpal Anesthetic Injection in the Evaluation of Chronic Wrist Pain

The evaluation of chronic wrist pain can be a diagnostic dilemma. Lidocaine injections combined with corticosteroids are often used for both diagnosis and therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine if a midcarpal injection of lidocaine could serve as a diagnostic tool in patients with chronic wrist pain. Specifically, the relationship of pain relief from the injection and improvement of grip strength were compared to the presence of intracarpal pathology as confirmed by wrist arthroscopy. Forty-five patients with chronic wrist pain underwent a midcarpal injection of lidocaine with or without corticosteroids. Forty of the 45 underwent comcomitant steroid injections; a majority of the 40 patients reported relief of pain for two or more weeks. Improvement of pain and improvement of grip strength were determined. Each of these patients subsequently underwent a radiocarpal and midcarpal arthroscopy, and the pathologic findings of arthroscopy were compared to the improvement of pain and grip strength. These data were compared to a cohort of six volunteers without history of wrist pain or trauma that underwent midcarpal injection of lidocaine. Statistical analysis was performed using Reciever-Operator-Characteristic analysis. The average age of patients with chronic pain was 30.3 years, with an average of 9.8 months of wrist pain. The ultimate diagnoses included 35 patients with carpal instability dissociative, two with nondissociative instability, seven with complex instability of the carpus, three with extensor carpi ulnaris tendonitis and one with deQuervain’s tenosynovitis. After lidocaine injection, the normal cohort had a mean loss of 2 kg (−5.3%) (p = 0.02) in grip strength, whereas the experimental cohort had a mean improvement in grip strength of 5.73 kg (34.4%). Improvement of pain after injection did not correlate with pathologic arthroscopic findings (p = 0.92). Improvement in grip strength after midcarpal lidocaine injection of 6 kg or 28% had a 73% sensitivity and a 70% specificity (p = 0.02) of having intracarpal pathology at the time of arthroscopy. Of the chronic wrist pain patients, only four had a normal arthroscopy, and the remainder had at least one area of significant pathology attributing to their pain. We conclude that a midcarpal injection of lidocaine can serve as an effective diagnostic tool in the evaluation of the patient with chronic wrist pain. Improvement of grip of 28% with or without relief of pain is highly correlated with intracarpal pathology. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.     

The evaluation of tension in an experimental model of external fixation of distal radius fractures

A cadavaric model was used to evaluate the previously reported methods of determining excessive tension when applying an external fixator across the wrist. An osteotomy of the distal radius was performed and tension was applied incrementally across the joint in 9 cadaveric specimens. The fingers of each specimen could fully flex to the palm at all levels of tension tested. Although the radiocarpal and midcarpal joint spaces did lengthen with incremental changes in the amount of tension, there was no statistically significant correlation that could be made about the difference between the radiocarpal and midcarpal spaces and tension applied across the wrist. Although the carpal height ratio increased significantly from 0 to 10 lb of traction, the carpal height ratio appeared to plateau after further increases in tension. In conclusion, surgeons need to be careful when using any of these previously reported techniques for determining the optimal tension to be applied with an external fixator across the wrist. These techniques may not reproducibly allow the surgeon to detect whether there is excessive distraction across the distal radius fracture.     

An anatomic reconstruction of the distal radioulnar ligaments for posttraumatic distal radioulnar joint instability

Fourteen patients with posttraumatic distal radioulnar joint instability were treated with a reconstruction of the distal radioulnar ligaments. The technique is anatomically accurate, is reproducible, and requires less dissection than previously described techniques. Candidates for the procedure had joint instability and an irreparable triangular fibrocartilage complex. Ten patients had bidirectional instability. Two patients had a concurrent corrective osteotomy of the distal radius for a malunion. The procedure restored stability and relieved symptoms in 12 of 14 patients at 1 to 4 years' follow-up evaluation. One patient with a deficient sigmoid notch and one with ulnocarpal ligament injury did not achieve full stability. All patients attained near full pronation and supination. The procedure is an effective treatment for an unstable distal radioulnar joint when its articular surfaces are intact and the other wrist ligaments are functional, and it can be used in combination with a distal radius corrective osteotomy.