The modified Brunelli procedure for scapholunate instability: a single centre study

Scapholunate Ligament Reconstruction With Internal Brace Augmentation Techniques for Chronic Scapholunate Dissociation: A Clinical Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION

The scapholunate ligament is the most important stabilizer of the scapholunate articulation. The management of chronic irreversible injuries of this ligament in the absence of preexisting arthritis of the wrist joint remains controversial. Recently, surgeons introduced a novel surgical technique using an internal brace (IB). Several biomechanical studies on this technique have been conducted using cadavers; however, very few studies have discussed the results in detail in actual clinical practice. Therefore, herein, we investigated the radiological and functional results of patients who underwent IB augmentation as a treatment for chronic scapholunate dissociation.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted from April 2018 to May 2022. Twenty-two patients with chronic scapholunate dissociation were treated using the IB augmentation technique, of whom 17 were followed-up for at least 1 year. Radiological results, including scapholunate distance, scapholunate angle, and radioscaphoid angle, were collected. Furthermore, clinical parameters, such as the visual analog scale (preoperative and at final follow-up), the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores (preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively), and Mayo wrist scores (preoperative and at final follow-up), were measured.

RESULTS

The scapholunate distance increased significantly in the affected wrist compared to the unaffected wrist, which improved after reconstruction in all wrist positions ( P < 0.05). Compared to the unaffected wrist, the scapholunate angle increased significantly in all positions ( P < 0.05) except for extension ( P = 0.535) and improved after reconstruction in all wrist positions. The radioscaphoid angle significantly increased compared to the angle of the unaffected wrist in all positions ( P < 0.05) except for extension ( P = 0.602) and clenched fist ( P = 0.556). This angle improved after reconstruction in all wrist positions except for extension ( P = 0.900). The visual analog scale score (7-2, preoperatively and at final follow-up) and Mayo wrist score (53-82, preoperatively and at final follow-up) improved after surgery. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores also improved after surgery (68, 53, 30, 7, preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that scapholunate ligament reconstruction using an autologous tendon and suture tape is a good reconstruction technique that can improve clinical symptoms and radiographic parameters with a shorter operation time and fewer complications than other reconstruction methods.

Return to sport or work following surgical management of scapholunate ligament injury: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

This systematic review aims to compare the rate and time to return to sport or work following surgical interventions for isolated scapholunate ligament (SLL) injury.

SOURCES OF DATA

A PRISMA-compliant systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, AMED, CINAHL Plus and SPORTDiscus was performed using keywords 'scapholunate', 'scapholunate ligament', 'scaphoid lunate', 'sport', 'sport injury', 'athlete', 'athletic performance', 'elite', 'return to sport', 'training', 'work', 'activity', 'return to activity'. Adult patients with isolated SLL injury, without osteoarthritis, were included.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

Fourteen papers, including six different surgical interventions, met the criteria for the final analysis. All surgical techniques demonstrated acceptable rates of return to work or sport (>80%).

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

The optimal surgical intervention for isolated SLL injury remains undetermined due to heterogeneity and limited sample sizes of published studies.

GROWING POINTS

This systematic review has provided clarification on the available literature on treatment modalities for isolated SLL injuries in the absence of osteoarthritis.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH

Prospective, randomized, primary studies are needed to establish optimal treatment for acute isolated SLL injuries.

Comparison of Three Different Internal Brace Augmentation Techniques for Scapholunate Dissociation: A Cadaveric Biomechanical Study

Internal bracing (IB) is an augmentation method using high-strength nonabsorbable tape. However, there is no detailed information about the direction, location, or number of IBs required for scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injury repair. Thus, this study compared the biomechanical characteristics of short-transverse IB, long-oblique IB, and the combination of short-transverse and long-oblique (Combo) IB for SLIL injury in a biomechanical cadaveric model. We prepared nine fresh-frozen full upper extremity cadaveric specimens for this study. The scapholunate distance, scapholunate angle, and radioscaphoid angle were measured using the MicroScribe digitizing system with the SLIL intact, after scapholunate dissociation and the three different reconstructions. Three-dimensional digital records were obtained in six wrist positions in each experimental condition. Short-transverse IB had a similar effect compared with long-oblique IB in addressing the widening of the scapholunate distance. However, both were less effective than Combo IB. For scaphoid flexion deformity, short-transverse IB had minimal effect, while long-oblique IB had a similar effect compared to Combo IB. Combo IB was the most effective for improving distraction intensity and rotational strength. This study provides important information about the biomechanical characteristics of three different IB methods for SLIL injury and may be useful to clinicians in treating scapholunate dissociation.

Intercarpal ligamentoplasty for scapholunate dissociation: comparison of two techniques

We modified our original surgical technique of scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty for treating chronic scapholunate dissociation. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes in patients treated by the same surgical team with the original method and the modified method over two different time periods. Nineteen patients with a mean age of 40 years were treated with the original method (mean follow-up of 34 months, range 12-54), and 21 patients with a mean age of 38 years were treated with the modified method (mean follow-up of 27 months, range 13-40). In both groups, we found a significant improvement in pain levels, grip strength, functional scores in terms of QuickDASH and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, and radiographic scapholunate gap and scapholunate angle after surgery. There were no significant differences between the two groups in outcome measures except the scapholunate gap, which was significantly better controlled by the modified procedure. Between the immediate postoperative period and the last follow-up, there was a significant increase in the scapholunate gap and scapholunate angle after the original method, while there only a small increase after the modified method. We conclude that both versions of the scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty yield satisfactory clinical and radiological results in the short to mid-term. The modified method makes the triquetral surgical step easier and seems to better optimize the tension across the ligamentoplasty, thus maintaining the intercarpal correction.Level of evidence: III.

Surgical outcomes of chronic isolated scapholunate interosseous ligament injuries: a systematic review of 805 wrists

Background

Management of chronic isolated scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injuries has generated a substantial volume of low-quality literature with descriptions of multiple new surgical techniques, and the impact of instability pattern and the optimal surgical technique remain unclear. The primary goal of this review was to compare clinical, radiographic and patient-rated outcomes between current surgical techniques.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search using multiple databases. We analyzed clinical, radiographic and patient-reported outcomes. We used a fixed-effects model weighted by sample size with combined outcomes estimated via least squares means with 95% confidence intervals. We also performed a subgroup analysis of static versus dynamic instability.

Results

We assessed 805 procedures from 37 study groups, with 429 procedures used in subgroup analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in outcomes between surgical techniques or in subgroup analysis. Overall, postoperative wrist flexion and pain scores decreased, and grip strength and patient-rated outcomes improved.

Conclusion

Compared to overall preoperative values, modest improvements in pain score, grip strength and functional outcome scores were obtained from a range of reconstructive procedures performed for chronic isolated SLIL injuries. No significant differences could be ascertained between surgical techniques, potentially owing to the low quality of evidence and procedure heterogeneity. This study provides accurate preoperative reference values for future studies, highlights the controversial clinical impact of instability classification, and the need for higher-quality multicentre or collaborative trials to improve our understanding and management of this common injury.

Outcomes of scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty for chronic scapholunate dissociation: a prospective study in 26 patients

We report the outcomes of scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty in 26 wrists. For 15 wrists with static instability and 11 with dynamic instability, we used a free palmaris longus graft to reconstruct the dorsal part of the scapholunate interosseous ligament and the dorsal intercarpal ligament. These patients were evaluated for pain and active wrist range of motion, grip strength and radiological appearance after a mean follow-up of 36 months (range 12-54) after surgery. Pain score was improved from 4.5 to 1.4 at rest and 6.7 to 1.9 during hand use. The average wrist flexion was 57°, extension 56°. Grip strength was 89% of the contralateral side. The mean scapholunate angle decreased from 76° to 62°, and static scapholunate gap reduced from 3.2 mm to 2.3 mm and the dynamic gap from 4.6 mm to 3.0 mm. Scaphoid subluxation was corrected. We conclude that this procedure led to satisfactory clinical and radiological results in a short- to mid-term follow-up.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

Radiological evaluation of scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty for chronic scapholunate dissociation in cadavers

We performed a cadaveric study to evaluate radiological performance of a technique for scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty designed for treating reducible scapholunate dissociation. We created scapholunate instability in 12 fresh adult cadaveric forearms by sectioning the dorsal scapholunate interosseous ligament and the dorsal intercarpal ligament. All wrists showed scapholunate diastasis, dorsal intercalated segmental instability and posterior scaphoid subluxation. We performed scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty in six wrists and Garcia-Elias three-ligament tenodesis in another six. Wrists were examined radiographically both after ligament sectioning and after ligamentoplasty to compare static and dynamic scapholunate gaps and scapholunate and capitolunate angles. Improvement was statistically significant in all measurements, reflecting a return to normal values. Posterior scaphoid subluxation was also corrected. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Our findings suggest that ligamentoplasty can restore scapholunate joint stability and normal carpal anatomy.

Cadaveric Testing of a Novel Scapholunate Ligament Reconstruction

Background  Existing scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) reconstruction techniques include fixation spanning the radiocarpal joint, which do not reduce the volar aspect of the scapholunate interval and may limit wrist motion. Questions/Purpose  This study tested the ability of an SLIL reconstruction technique that approximates both the volar and dorsal scapholunate intervals, without spanning the radiocarpal joint, to restore static scapholunate relationships. Materials and Methods  Scapholunate interval, scapholunate angle, and radiolunate angle were measured in nine human cadaveric specimens with the SLIL intact, sectioned, and reconstructed. Fluoroscopic images were obtained in six wrist positions. The reconstruction was performed by passing tendon graft through bone tunnels from the dorsal surface toward the volar corner of the interosseous surface. After reduction of the scapholunate articulation, the graft was tensioned within the lunate bone tunnel, secured with an interference screw in the scaphoid, and sutured to the dorsal SLIL remnant. Differences among testing states were evaluated using repeated measures ANOVA. Results  There was a significant increase in the scapholunate interval in all wrist positions after complete SLIL disruption. Compared with the disrupted state, there was a significant decrease in scapholunate interval in all wrist positions after reconstruction using a tendon graft and interference screw. Conclusion  Our SLIL reconstruction technique reconstructs the volar and dorsal ligaments of the scapholunate joint and adequately restores static measures of scapholunate stability. This technique does not tether the radiocarpal joint and aims to optimize volar reduction. Clinical Relevance  Our technique offers an alternative option for SLIL reconstruction that successfully restores static scapholunate relationships.

Treatment of chronic scapholunate dissociation with tenodesis: A systematic review

Scapholunate (SL) instability is the most common dissociative carpal instability condition. It is the most frequent cause of wrist osteoarthritis, defined as scapholunate advanced collapse or SLAC wrist. Familiarity with the SL ligament complex is required to understand the various features of SL instability. Damage to the SL interosseous ligament is the main prerequisite for SL instability; however the extrinsic, palmar and dorsal ligaments of the carpus also come into play. When more than 6 weeks has passed since the initial injury event, SL instability is considered chronic because ligament healing is no longer possible. Before osteoarthritis sets in and when the SL instability is still reducible (scaphoid can be reverticalized), ligament reconstruction surgery is indicated. Since the end of the 1970s, various ligament reconstruction or tenodesis techniques have been described. These techniques are used in cases of chronic, dynamic or static reducible SL instability, when no repairable ligament stump and no chondral lesions are present. The aim is to correct the SL instability using a free or pedicled tendon graft to reduce pain while limiting the loss of mobility and protecting against osteoarthritis-related collapse in the long-term. We will perform a systematic review of the various tenodesis techniques available in the literature.

Sequential scapholunate and volar beak ligament reconstructions with flexor carpi radialis tendon grafts

The flexor carpi radialis tendon is considered by many the workhorse tendon in hand and wrist surgery. Some have expressed concerns about altering the mechanics of the wrist by sacrificing part or all of the flexor carpi radialis tendon. We present an interesting case of sequential scapholunate and volar beak ligament reconstructions using a flexor carpi radialis tendon autograft where a slip of tendon was harvested twice within three years, achieving a satisfactory clinical outcome at five years following the initial surgery.