This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by HONKANEN, P. B. Articles by LEHTO, M. U. K. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by HONKANEN, P. B. Articles by LEHTO, M. U. K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Radiocarpal Arthrodesis in the Treatment of the Rheumatoid Wrist. A Prospective Midterm Follow-up

From the Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Orthopaedics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland, and Medical School University of Tampere, Finland, Department of Physiatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland and Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Coxa, Hospital for Joint Replacement, Tampere, Finland

Correspondence: Dr Pirjo Birgit Honkanen, MD Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Tel.: +358 3 3116 5047; fax: +358 3 3116 3015. E-mail:pirjo.honkanen{at}fimnet.fi

This prospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of radiocarpal joint arthrodesis in the treatment of unstable Simmen group III and Larsen grade II or III rheumatoid wrists. Radiolunate arthrodesis was performed in 16 wrists and radioscapholunate arthrodesis in 7 wrists in 20 patients. When they were evaluated at a mean of 5.8 (range 3.5–9.8) years later, flexion was 29° and extension 34°, representing 67% and 92% of the preoperative values, respectively. Patient satisfaction was excellent, or good, for 20 wrists and satisfactory for 1 wrist. In two patients with poor satisfaction, arthritis progressed to the midcarpal joint and necessitated total arthrodesis of the wrist. Radiolunate joint arthrodesis, with inclusion of the scaphoid in the fusion if necessary, is a useful operation in the treatment of this degree of wrist disease as it produces a functional and pain-free wrist at the same time as preserving much of the mobility and bone stock.

Key Words: arthrodesis • wrist • radiocarpal joint • rheumatoid arthritis • surgery

Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Vol. 32, No. 4, 368-376 (2007)
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHSE.2007.04.006


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Arimitsu, T. Murase, J. Hashimoto, H. Yoshikawa, K. Sugamoto, and H. Moritomo Three-Dimensional Kinematics of the Rheumatoid Wrist After Partial Arthrodesis J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., September 1, 2009; 91(9): 2180 - 2187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]