Diagnostic arthroscopy: indications and interpretation of findings

Cartilage Injuries and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in the Wrist: A Review

OBJECTIVE

Focal cartilage injuries, and posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) in the wrist are likely common and a cause of wrist pain. To estimate the incidence of cartilage lesions and to understand the pathomechanisms leading to wrist cartilage injuries and OA, a literature review on the subject was performed combined with a presentation of one of the authors' own experience.

DESIGN

This study includes a literature review of the topic. As a comparison to the review findings, the observations of one of the authors' consecutive 48 wrist arthroscopies, were assessed. PubMed, Scholar, and Cochrane databases were searched using the keywords "cartilage injury AND wrist AND treatment" and "wrist AND cartilage AND chondral AND osteochondral AND degenerative OA."

:RESULT

A total of 11 articles, including 9 concerning chondral and osteochondral repair and treatment and 2 regarding posttraumatic OA, were retrieved. The cartilage repair treatments used in these articles were drilling, osteochondral autograft, juvenile articular cartilage allograft, and chondrocyte implantation. One article displayed concomitant cartilage injuries in displaced distal radius fractures in 32% of the patients. The review of our findings from a 1-year cohort of wrist arthroscopies showed 17% cartilage injuries.

CONCLUSION

There is a lack of knowledge in current literature on cartilage injuries and treatment, as well as posttraumatic OA in the wrist. Cartilage injuries appear to be common, being found in 17% to 32% of all wrist arthroscopies after trauma, but no guidelines regarding conservative or surgical treatment can be recommended at the moment. Larger prospective comparative studies are needed.

Wrist Arthroscopy in Children and Adolescent With Chronic Wrist Pain: Arthroscopic Findings Compared With MRI

BACKGROUND

Wrist arthroscopy is a dynamic diagnostic procedure and its indications are growing as a treatment modality in the adult population. The aim of the study was to retrospectively report our series of pediatric and adolescence with chronic wrist pain, with or without wrist instability who underwent wrist arthroscopy after failing at least 4 months of conservative management. Our secondary aim was to report the sensitivity and specificity of clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation for various injury subgroups against the gold standard of the arthroscopic findings. Technical challenges, complications, and outcomes are also discussed.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the medical records of 32 pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent wrist arthroscopy was conducted. Preoperative clinical diagnosis, radiographic, and intraoperative findings including classifications of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and interosseous ligaments were obtained. Patients were followed up to 1 year postoperatively and were discharged if symptom free.

RESULTS

Thirty-three wrist arthroscopies in 32 patients were performed from 1996 to 2004. There were 2 male and 30 female patients. At arthroscopy 16 wrists were found to have TFCC injuries, 11 wrists had scapholunate injuries, and 8 had lunotriquetral (LT) injuries. Clinical examination for diagnosis of TFCC injury was too sensitive and nonspecific; however, clinical diagnosis of scapholunate injury was sensitive and specific. LT injury was under diagnosed clinically. Magnetic resonance imaging was found to have a low sensitivity for diagnosis of LT injury but diagnosis of TFCC was sensitive and specific.

CONCLUSIONS

The sex ratio of 2 males:30 females was startling. Nevertheless, this therapeutic level 3 study supports a thorough search for pathology in any patient with persistent wrist symptoms because pathology was identified in 32 of the 33 wrists at arthroscopy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III-Therapeutic.

Diagnostic Wrist Arthroscopy for Nonspecific Wrist Pain

Background: This study addresses the prevalence of discrete pathophysiology accounting for patients' symptoms during diagnostic wrist arthroscopy in individuals with wrist pain without a specific preoperative diagnosis. Secondarily, we determined the number and type of surgeries subsequent to diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. Methods: Between January 2000 and January 2015, 135 diagnostic wrist arthroscopies were performed by 12 surgeons in 3 urban academic hospitals. We recorded the diagnostic findings of diagnostic wrist arthroscopy and any subsequent surgeries. Results: One hundred and five patients had synovitis or a normal wrist (78%), 17 had likely age-appropriate changes (eg, central triangular fibrocartilage complex defects scapholunate changes) (13%), 8 (6%) were given uncommon diagnoses, and 5 (4%) had osteochondral defects. Sixteen patients (12%) had subsequent wrist surgery: 2 were for adverse events, 2 were carpal tunnel releases, and 12 were other surgeries. Conclusion: Diagnostic arthroscopy performed in the setting of an unclear preoperative diagnosis yielded limited diagnostic benefit.

Trends in wrist arthroscopy

Background Wrist arthroscopy plays a role in both the diagnosis and the treatment of wrist pathology. It has evolved in the last three decades. Questions The present status of wrist arthroscopy was investigated by answering the following questions: -What is its current position in the treatment wrist pathologies according to the literature? -What is its current position according to hand surgeons? Methods Analysis of the number of publications on wrist arthroscopy was performed and compared with the number of publications on other arthroscopy topics to assess the current position of wrist arthroscopy. The members of the EWAS (European Wrist Arthroscopy Society) and the members of eight national hand surgery societies were questioned on wrist arthroscopy in daily practice. Results From 1975 till now, 925 papers on wrist arthroscopy were found. The publications on wrist arthroscopy increased from an average of 8/year (1986) to 26/year (2012). More than half (56.9%) of the respondents of the EWAS perform fewer than 5 wrist arthroscopies per month, and only 7 (10.8%) indicate the performance of more than 10 wrist arthroscopies per month. Seventy-four percent of the orthopedic hand surgeons perform wrist arthroscopy (in 48.5% for therapeutic indications) against 36.8% of plastic surgery hand surgeons (in 23.1% for therapeutic indications). Conclusion Wrist arthroscopy has taken up a place in the armamentarium of the hand surgeon. The place of wrist arthroscopy in daily practice is related to the background of the hand surgeon.

Modified carpal stretch test as a screening test for detection of scapholunate interosseous ligament injuries associated with distal radial fractures

BACKGROUND

Intra-articular distal radial fractures are frequently accompanied by a scapholunate interosseous ligament injury, which may adversely affect the outcomes. Arthroscopy may not be appropriate as a first-line evaluation method to diagnose these injuries because of time, expense, and availability issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified carpal stretch test for screening for scapholunate interosseous ligament injuries in patients with an intra-articular distal radial fracture.

METHODS

The carpal stretch test is a radiographic evaluation in which disruption of the smooth arc of the proximal carpal row joint line indicates a lack of integrity of the scapholunate interosseous ligament. We modified the original carpal stretch test and prospectively performed the modified test on forty-eight patients with a total of forty-nine unstable intra-articular distal radial fractures. With the patient under anesthesia, the injured wrist was evaluated with the modified carpal stretch test with fluoroscopy. The wrist was then examined arthroscopically to classify the scapholunate interosseous ligament injury. Three observers independently determined whether there was disruption of the proximal carpal row joint line (Gilula's arc II), used as an indicator of a grade-III or IV scapholunate interosseous ligament tear, on fluoroscopic images. The fluoroscopic results were compared with the arthroscopic findings.

RESULTS

The average sensitivity of the modified carpal stretch test was 78%, the average specificity was 72%, the average positive predictive value was 60%, the average negative predictive value was 87%, and the average accuracy was 74%. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for interobserver agreement was 0.73, and the ICCs for intraobserver agreement were 0.86, 0.68, and 0.84 for the three observers.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified carpal stretch test was useful to rule out grade-III or IV scapholunate interosseous ligament tears associated with intra-articular distal radial fractures, but it was not as useful to confirm the presence of a tear. This test may reduce the necessity for arthroscopic assessment to identify scapholunate interosseous ligament injuries following distal radial fractures and may improve the rates of detection of important carpal ligament injuries accompanying intra-articular distal radial fractures.

Plate presetting arthroscopic reduction technique for the distal radius fractures

Wrist arthroscopy for the distal radius fractures is an effective adjunct to evaluate the reduction of intraarticular fragments and soft tissue injuries. In recent years, volar locking plate fixation has become popular, and arthroscopic procedures for distal radius fracture reduction have become problematic because vertical traction has to be both on and off during surgery. We developed a plate presetting arthroscopic reduction technique to simplify the combination of plating and arthroscopy. The fracture was reduced, and anatomic alignment was regained under an image intensifier, and then the volar locking plate was preset. Wrist arthroscopy was introduced under vertical traction, and the intraarticular condition was assessed. If dislocations of the intraarticular fragments were residual, they were reduced arthroscopically, and soft tissue injuries were treated subsequently. Finally, the traction was removed, and the plate was securely fixed. Since May 2005, the authors have used this technique in more than 50 patients. This article will review the history, indications, contraindications, technique, rehabilitation, and complications for the plate presetting arthroscopic reduction technique for distal radius fractures.

The "ulnar fovea sign" for defining ulnar wrist pain: an analysis of sensitivity and specificity

PURPOSE

Eliciting tenderness in the region of the ulnar fovea is a possibly useful clinical test for defining the source of ulnar-sided wrist pain. Until now, no reports of the clinical sensitivity and specificity of this test have been available. Based on anecdotal observations, a hypothesis was developed stating that ulnar fovea tenderness (positive "ulnar fovea sign") is sensitive and specific in detecting two ulnar-sided wrist conditions: foveal disruption of the distal radioulnar ligaments and ulnotriquetral (UT) ligament injuries.

METHODS

The clinical records of 272 consecutive patients with wrist arthroscopy performed by the senior author from 1998 through to 2005 were reviewed. Relevant clinical and surgical data were abstracted. The ulnar fovea sign test is executed by pressing the examiner's thumb distally into the interval between the ulnar styloid process and flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, between the volar surface of the ulnar head and the pisiform. A positive ulnar fovea sign is designated when there is exquisite tenderness that the patient claims replicates their pain, with comparisons made with the contralateral side.

RESULTS

There were a total of 90 foveal disruptions and 68 UT ligament injuries diagnosed during wrist arthroscopy. The ulnar fovea sign was positive in 156 patients. The sensitivity of the fovea sign in detecting foveal disruptions and/or UT ligament injuries was 95.2%. Its specificity was 86.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

The hypothesis stating that the ulnar fovea sign is a useful clinical maneuver to detect foveal disruptions and UT ligament tears is supported. The conditions represent 2 common sources of ulnar-sided wrist pain. The differentiation between the 2 conditions may be made clinically, where UT ligament tears are typically associated with a stable distal radioulnar joint and foveal disruptions are typically associated with an unstable distal radioulnar joint.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Diagnostic II.