The aims of this study were to describe the epidemiology of metacarpal shaft fractures (MSFs), assess variation in treatment and complications following standard care, document hospital resource use, and explore factors associated with treatment modality. A multicentre, cross-sectional retrospective study of MSFs at six centres in the UK. We collected and analyzed healthcare records, operative notes, and radiographs of adults presenting within ten days of a MSF affecting the second to fifth metacarpal between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017. Total emergency department (ED) attendances were used to estimate prevalence.Aims
Methods
It is not clear which type of casting provides the best initial treatment in adults with a distal radial fracture. Given that between 32% and 64% of adequately reduced fractures redisplace during immobilization in a cast, preventing redisplacement and a disabling malunion or secondary surgery is an aim of treatment. In this study, we investigated whether circumferential casting leads to fewer fracture redisplacements and better one-year outcomes compared to plaster splinting. In a pragmatic, open-label, multicentre, two-period cluster-randomized superiority trial, we compared these two types of casting. Recruitment took place in ten hospitals. Eligible patients aged ≥ 18 years with a displaced distal radial fracture, which was acceptably aligned after closed reduction, were included. The primary outcome measure was the rate of redisplacement within five weeks of immobilization. Secondary outcomes were the rate of complaints relating to the cast, clinical outcomes at three months, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (using the numerical rating scale (NRS), the abbreviated version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and Patient-Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE) scores), and adverse events such as the development of compartment syndrome during one year of follow-up. We used multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression for the analysis of the primary outcome measure.Aims
Methods
Aims. The study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic debridement and partial excision in patients with traumatic central tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), and to identify prognostic factors associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes. Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients arthroscopically diagnosed with Palmer 1 A lesions who underwent arthroscopic debridement and partial excision from March 2009 to February 2021, with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Patients were assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, Mayo Wrist Score (MWS), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. The poor outcome group was defined as patients whose preoperative and last follow-up clinical score difference was less than the minimal clinically important difference of the DASH score (10.83). Baseline characteristics, arthroscopic findings, and radiological factors (ulnar variance, MRI, or arthrography) were evaluated to predict poor clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 114 patients were enrolled in this study, with a mean follow-up period of 29.8 months (SD 14.4). The mean DASH score improved from 36.5 (SD 21.5) to 16.7 (SD 14.3), the mean MWS from 59.7 (SD 17.9) to 79.3 (SD 14.3), and the mean VAS pain score improved from 5.9 (SD 1.8) to 2.2 (SD 2.0) at the last follow-up (all p < 0.001). Among the 114 patients, 16 (14%) experienced poor clinical outcomes and ten (8.8%) required secondary ulnar shortening
There is no level I evidence dealing with the optimal period of immobilization for patients with a displaced distal radial fracture following closed reduction. A shorter period might lead to a better functional outcome due to less stiffness and pain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this period could be safely reduced from six to four weeks. This multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) included adult patients with a displaced distal radial fracture, who were randomized to be treated with immobilization in a cast for four or six weeks following closed reduction. The primary outcome measure was the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score after follow-up at one year. Secondary outcomes were the abbreviated version of the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score after one year, the functional outcome at six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months, range of motion (ROM), the level of pain after removal of the cast, and complications.Aims
Methods
To analyze the short-term outcome of two types of total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) in terms of wrist function, migration, and periprosthetic bone behaviour. A total of 40 patients suffering from non-rheumatoid wrist arthritis were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial comparing the ReMotion and Motec TWAs. Patient-rated and functional outcomes, radiological changes, blood metal ion levels, migration measured by model-based radiostereometric analysis (RSA), bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), complications, loosening, and revision rates at two years were compared.Aims
Methods
Aims. The primary aim of this study was to describe long-term patient-reported outcomes after ulna shortening
Aims. Displaced distal radius fractures were investigated at a level 1 major trauma centre during the COVID-19 2020 lockdown due to the implementation of temporary changes in practice. The primary aim was to establish if follow-up at one week in place of the 72-hour British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma & Orthopaedics (BOAST) guidance was safe following manipulation under anaesthetic. A parallel adaptation during lockdown was the non-expectation of Bier’s block. The secondary aim was to compare clinical outcomes with respect to block type. Methods. Overall, 90 patients were assessed in a cross-sectional cohort study using a mixed, retrospective-prospective approach. Consecutive sampling of 30 patients pre-lockdown (P1), 30 during lockdown (P2), and 30 during post-lockdown (P3) was applied. Type of block, operative status, follow-up, and complications were extracted. Primary endpoints were early complications (≤ one week). Secondary endpoints were later complications including malunion, delayed union or
Patients with a triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injury report ulnar-sided wrist pain and impaired function. The surgical procedure of TFCC reinsertion aims to improve function in patients with this injury in whom conservative treatment has failed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of open TFCC reinsertion. The study involved 274 patients who underwent open repair of the TFCC between December 2013 and December 2018. The patients completed the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) questionnaire, and scored pain and function using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Range of motion (ROM) was assessed by experienced hand therapists.Aims
Methods
Aims. The primary aim of this study was to describe patient satisfaction and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following corrective
To assess the proportion of patients with distal radius fractures (DRFs) who were managed nonoperatively during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the British Orthopaedic Association BOAST COVID-19 guidelines, who would have otherwise been considered for an operative intervention. We retrospectively reviewed the radiographs and clinical notes of all patients with DRFs managed nonoperatively, following the publication of the BOAST COVID-19 guidelines on the management of urgent trauma between 26 March and 18 May 2020. Radiological parameters including radial height, radial inclination, intra-articular step-off, and volar tilt from post-reduction or post-application of cast radiographs were measured. The assumption was that if one radiological parameter exceeds the acceptable criteria, the patient would have been considered for an operative intervention in pre-COVID times.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the shape of the distal radius sigmoid notch and triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) foveal tear. Between 2013 and 2018, patients were retrospectively recruited in two different groups. The patient group comprised individuals who underwent arthroscopic transosseous TFCC foveal repair for foveal tear of the wrist. The control group comprised individuals presenting with various diseases around wrist not affecting the TFCC. The study recruited 176 patients (58 patients, 118 controls). The sigmoid notch shape was classified into four types (flat-face, C-, S-, and ski-slope types) and three radiological parameters related to the sigmoid notch (namely, the radius curvature, depth, and version angle) were measured. The association of radiological parameters and sigmoid notch types with the TFCC foveal tear was investigated in univariate and multivariate analyses. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to estimate a cut-off for any statistically significant variables.Aims
Methods
Carpal malalignment after a distal radial fracture occurs due to loss of volar tilt. Several studies have shown that this has an adverse influence on function. We aimed to investigate the magnitude of dorsal tilt that leads to carpal malalignment, whether reduction of dorsal tilt will correct carpal malalignment, and which measure of carpal malalignment is the most useful. Radiographs of patients with a distal radial fracture were prospectively collected and reviewed. Measurements of carpal malalignment were recorded on the initial radiograph, the radiograph following reduction of the fracture, and after a further interval. Linear regression modelling was used to assess the relationship between dorsal tilt and carpal malalignment. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to identify which values of dorsal tilt led to carpal malalignment.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation with locking-plate fixation for patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius in the five years after injury. We report the five-year follow-up of a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 461 adults with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius within 3 cm of the radiocarpal joint that required surgical fixation were recruited from 18 trauma centres in the United Kingdom. Patients were excluded if the surface of the wrist joint was so badly displaced it required open reduction. In all, 448 patients were randomized to receive either K-wire fixation or locking-plate fixation. In the K-wire group, there were 179 female and 38 male patients with a mean age of 59.1 years (19 to 89). In the locking-plate group, there were 194 female and 37 male patients with a mean age of 58.3 years (20 to 89). The primary outcome measure was the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life using the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) assessment, and further surgery related to the index fracture.Aims
Patients and Methods
Plate and screw fixation has been the standard treatment for painful conditions of the wrist in non-rheumatoid patients in recent decades. We investigated the complications, re-operations, and final outcome in a consecutive series of patients who underwent wrist arthrodesis for non-inflammatory arthritis. A total of 76 patients, including 53 men and 23 women, with a mean age of 50 years (21 to 79) underwent wrist arthrodesis. Complications and re-operations were recorded. At a mean follow-up of 11 years (2 to 18), 63 patients completed questionnaires, and 57 attended for clinical and radiological assessment.Aims
Patients and Methods
Positive ulnar variance is an established risk factor for idiopathic
ulnar impaction syndrome (UIS). However, not all patients with positive
ulnar variance develop symptomatic UIS and other factors, including
the morphology of the lunate, may be involved. The aim of this study
was to clarify the relationship between lunate morphology and idiopathic
UIS. A cohort of 95 patients with idiopathic UIS (UIS group) was compared
with 95 asymptomatic controls with positive ulnar variance. The
shape of the lunate was measured using the capitate-triquetrum distance
(CTD), ulnar coverage ratio (UCR), radiolunate distance and radiolunate
angle. The association of radiographic parameters and lunate types
with the development of UIS was investigated in univariable and
multivariable analyses. Receiver operating characteristic curves
were used to estimate a cutoff for any statistically significant
variables.Aims
Patients and Methods
Aims. The aims of this study were: firstly, to investigate the influence
of the thickness of cartilage at the sigmoid notch on the inclination
of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ), and secondly, to compare
the sensitivity and specificity of MRI with plain radiographs for
the assessment of the inclination of the articular surface of the
DRUJ in the coronal plane. . Patients and Methods. Contemporaneous MRI images and radiographs of 100 wrists from
98 asymptomatic patients (mean age 43 years, (16 to 67); 52 male,
53%) with no history of a fracture involving the wrist or surgery
to the wrist, were reviewed. The thickness of the cartilage at the
sigmoid notch, inclination of the DRUJ and Tolat Type of each DRUJ
were determined. . Results. The assessment using MRI scans and cortical bone correlated well
with radiographs, with a kappa value of 0.83. The mean difference
between the inclination using the cortex and cartilage on MRI scans
was 12°, leading to a change of Tolat type of inclination in 66%
of wrists. No reverse oblique (Type 3) inclinations were found when
using the cartilage to assess inclination. . Conclusion . These data revealed that when measuring the inclination of the
DRUJ using cartilage, reverse oblique inclinations might not exist.
The data suggest that performing an ulna shortening
Chronic conditions of the wrist may be difficult to manage because
pain and psychiatric conditions are correlated with abnormal function
of the hand. Additionally, intra-articular inflammatory cytokines
may cause pain. We aimed to validate the measurement of inflammatory cytokines
in these conditions and identify features associated with symptoms. The study included 38 patients (18 men, 20 women, mean age 43
years) with a chronic condition of the wrist who underwent arthroscopy.
Before surgery, the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Hand20 questionnaire
and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain were used. Cytokine and
chemokine levels in the synovial fluid of the wrist were measured
using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and correlations between
the levels with pain were analysed. Gene expression profiles of
the synovial membranes were assessed using quantitative polymerase
chain reaction.Aims
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment
results following arthroscopic triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC)
debridement for recalcitrant ulnar wrist pain. According to the
treatment algorithm, 66 patients (36 men and 30 women with a mean
age of 38.1 years (15 to 67)) with recalcitrant ulnar wrist pain
were allocated to undergo ulnar shortening
