scholarly journals Evaluation of an Image-Based Tool to Examine the Effect of Fracture Alignment and Joint Congruency on Outcomes after Wrist Fracture

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily A Lalone ◽  
Ruby Grewal ◽  
Graham W King ◽  
Joy C MacDermid

Some mal-alignment of the wrist occurs in up to 71% of patients following a distal radius fracture. A multiple case study was used to provide proof of principle of an image-based technique to investigate the evolution and impact of post-traumatic joint changes at the distal radioulnar joint. Participants who had a unilateral distal radius fracture who previously participated in a prospective study were recruited from a single tertiary hand center. Long term follow-up measures of pain, disability, range of motion and radiographic alignment were obtained and compared to joint congruency measures. The inter-bone distance, a measure of joint congruency was quantified from reconstructed CT bone models of the distal radius and ulna and the clinical outcome was quantified using the patient rated wrist evaluation. In all four cases, acceptable post-reduction alignment and minimal pain/disability at 1-year suggested good clinical outcomes. However, 10 years following injury, 3 out of 4 patients had radiographic signs of degenerative changes occurring in their injured wrist (distal radioulnar joint/radio-carpal joint). Proximity maps displaying inter-bone distances showed asymmetrical congruency between wrists in these three patients. The 10-year PRWE (patient rated wrist evaluation) varied from 4 to 60, with 3 reporting minimal pain/disability and one experiencing high pain/disability. These illustrative cases demonstrate long-term joint damage post-fracture is common and occurs despite positive short-term clinical outcomes. Imaging and functional outcomes are not necessarily correlated. A novel congruency measure provides an indicator of the overall impact of joint mal-alignment that can be used to determine predictors of post-traumatic arthritis and is viable for clinical or large cohort studies.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Yu Yin ◽  
Hui-Kuang Huang ◽  
Duretti Fufa ◽  
Jung-Pan Wang

Abstract BackgroundThe surgical technique of radius distraction for stabilization of distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) if intraoperative DRUJ instability was found after the fixation of distal radius fracture has been previously described, but this surgical technique lacks clinical and radiographic effect in minimal 3 years follow-up. We therefore evaluated the clinical outcome and radiographic results of radius distraction in minimal 3 years follow-up.MethodsWe reviewed the case series of distal radius fracture with concomitant DRUJ instability receiving radius distraction from the senior author over a 5-year period (January 1st, 2013 to June 30th, 2017) retrospectively, and the evaluation of clinical and radiographic outcomes was performed at clinic as long-term follow-up; a total 34 patients had been evaluated.ResultsAt minimal post-operative 36 months follow-up, all cases demonstrated acceptable wrist range of motion with stable DRUJs and low NRS of wrist pain (0.6, SD 0.7) and DASH score (mean 9.1, SD 6.2), and there were no cases suffering from nonunion of distal radius. The mean ulnar variance of injured wrist and uninjured wrist were − 1.2 mm and 0.2mm, respectively (SD 1.0 and 0.6) with significant statistical difference.ConclusionsRadius distraction during volar fixation of distal radius fracture should be consider if DRUJ instability was found by the radioulnar stress test intraoperatively, and the long-term DRUJ stability could be achieved by maintenance of normal-to-negative ulnar variance, with decreased wrist pain and satisfactory function outcome.Level of EvidenceTherapeutic Level IV


2021 ◽  
pp. 175319342110166
Author(s):  
Grey E. B. Giddins ◽  
Greg T. Pickering

The incidence of distal radioulnar joint instability following a distal radius fracture is estimated around one in three based upon clinical examination. Using a validated rig, we objectively measured distal radioulnar joint translation in vivo following distal radius fracture. Dorsopalmar translation of the distal radioulnar joint was measured in 50 adults with previous distal radius fractures. Measurements were compared with the uninjured wrist and against a database of previous measurements within healthy and clinically lax populations. Translation at the distal radioulnar joint was greater in injured wrists at 12.2 mm (range 10–15, SD 1.2) than the uninjured wrists at 6.4 (range 4–9, SD 0.8) ( p < 0.001) and was always outside the established normal range. There was no statistically significant link between translation and the severity of the injury. Instability appears almost inevitable following a distal radius (wrist) fracture, albeit subclinical in the vast majority.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Naser Alnusif ◽  
Sultan Aldebeyan ◽  
Rudolf Reindl

Volar distal radioulnar (DRUJ) dislocations are uncommon and can easily be missed. We present a rare case of an irreducible volar DRUJ dislocation associated with a distal radius fracture and acute median nerve neuropathy at the wrist. An attempt to reduce the DRUJ dislocation in the emergency department had failed. The patient was then taken to the operating room requiring a carpal tunnel release, as well as an open reduction and internal fixation of the distal radius fracture and repair of the volar distal radioulnar ligament. We also review some of the volar DRUJ case reports in the literature.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Ki-Bum Choi ◽  
Sung-Woo Huh ◽  
Seong-Eun Kim ◽  
Jung-Woo Lee ◽  
Seok-Whan Song ◽  
...  

Hand Surgery ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwok-Ho Wong ◽  
Tak-Hing Yip ◽  
Wing-Cheung Wu

Six patients with post-traumatic distal radioulnar joint dorsal instability were treated with dorsal capsular reconstruction. This new technique of reconstruction requires less extensive dissection than the previously described methods in the literature and requires no tendon graft. A total of six patients treated from 1999 to 2001 were included in this study. Two were males and four were females. The average age of patients was 30 years and all the instabilities were secondary to trauma. One of them had associated minimally displaced distal radius fracture. All patients had arthrogram and arthroscopy done before the reconstruction and had no significant triangular fibrocartilage complex injury. The surgery consisted of duplication capsulorrhaphy of the dorsal capsular structures of the distal radioulnar joint. All patients had satisfactory results after the operations in terms of pain relief, range of motion and stability.


2015 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 061-062
Author(s):  
Sanath Kumar Shetty ◽  
Joseph John ◽  
Lawrence John Mathias ◽  
H Ravindranath Rai

AbstractDistal radioulnar joint disorders are a frequent cause of wrist pain and instability. The etiology include displaced fractures or malunions of the distal radius and tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex with DRUJ instability.A 47 year old gentleman presented to us with complaints of pain and deformity of the right wrist of one and half years duration. Radiographs revealed a malunited distal radius fracture.He underwent Sauve Kapandji procedure. Follow ups were done at periodic intervals and wrist physiotherapy was instituted. He had acceptable wrist motion at six weeks.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document