Aims: Chronic wrist pain has always been a diagnostic challenge. With the introduction of wrist arthroscopy and MRI, previously used techniques such as arthrography and cineradiography were made redundant. However the gold standard of wrist arthroscopy can still fail to diagnose the problem in some patients with chronic wrist pain. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the combination of arthroscopy with arthrography gives more information, therefore permitting a clearer diagnosis in these patients.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 40 consecutive patients who underwent wrist arthroscopy for chronic wrist pain, between November 2003 and October 2005. All patients had their investigation and management by a single upper limb consultant orthopaedic surgeon. All had plain x-rays, 42.5% had MRI prior to surgery, and all but one had an intra-operative arthrogram, performed under the same anaesthetic as for the wrist arthroscopy. All demographic data was collected along with history of the patient’s wrist pain, examination, investigations and management.

Results: The results showed a ratio of patients 21M: 19F with mean age of 38 years in males and 40 years in females. On examination 15% demonstrated pain with carpal instability. 55% showed pathological findings on their X-rays. 82% of those who had an MRI, had a pathological finding. 97.5% had wrist arthrograms intra-operatively. 56% of these showed pathological findings on wrist arthrogram. In 18%, it altered the differential diagnosis prior to performing the arthroscopy and 38% it reinforced our diagnosis.

The final diagnoses after wrist arthrogram and arthroscopy were 42.5% with TFCC injuries, 20% with SNAC pathology, 20% with synovitis with no other pathology, 10% with carpal ligamentous pathology and 7.5% with radiocarpal osteoarthritis.

Conclusions: Performing an arthrogram initially provided more information, thereby allowing the surgeon to undertake the arthroscopy with increased accuracy. It also permitted the diagnosis of more subtle findings.

Therefore, the arthrogram is another tool in the diagnosis of wrist pathology, and should not be forgotten. It is especially useful in patients with chronic wrist pain, where the diagnosis may be more complicated.

Aims: In recent years, volar locking plates have increased in popularity for the treatment of displaced distal radial fractures. The angular stability of the screws help maintain reduction permitting early mobilisation. The aim of this study was to assess functional outcome using both subjective and objective methods.

Methods: The study was a prospective cohort study. Over a 2 year period 110 patients with closed, displaced distal radial fractures were considered suitable for treatment with the distal radius volar locking plate. Of these, 51 patients were followed up for a full 12 months. One year post-operatively all patients were reviewed and both subjective and objective measurements made:

Subjective:

Pain – visual analogue scale (VAS) (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain ever).

For the purpose of this analysis, the fractures were divided into intra- and extra-articular fracture patterns based on the initial pre-operative X-rays.

Results: The mean age was 55 years (28 – 83), 36 were female and 15 male. Of the fractures, 26 were extra-articular and 25 intra-articular. 28 of the 51 patients had a period of physiotherapy post-operatively. 23 patients were either not referred to physiotherapy or failed to attend.

Subjectively 75% of patients had an excellent result with a pain VAS score of 0–1/10 (mean 0.9 for extra-articular and 1.2 for intra-articular) and an overall function VAS score of 9–10/10 (mean 92% for extra-articular and 86% for intra-articular).

Objective outcome measures were also very good. The results for the extra-articular group showed a mean grip strength of 85%, a mean pinch grip of 91%, a mean flexion of 82%, a mean extension of 88%, a mean pronation of 98% and a mean supination of 98%. The results for intra-articular fractures showed a mean grip strength of 80%, a mean pinch grip of 88%, a mean flexion of 78%, a mean extension of 83%, a mean pronation of 94% and a mean supination of 93%.

Conclusions: Overall patients made an excellent recovery. The majority of patients had little or no pain and almost complete return to function at 12 months post-operatively. Interestingly, individual patient demographics (age, sex, fracture type, physiotherapy) did not make a statistically significant difference to the outcome measures.

This study confirmed excellent functional results comparable with other methods of fixation for extra-articular fractures, but it also showed good results with the more complex intra-articular fractures.