REVIEW  WRIST TRAUMATOLOGY 

Minerva Orthopedics 2021 April;72(2):140-64

DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8469.20.04030-8

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Arthroscopic treatment in traumatic lesion of the wrist

Lucian L. MARCOVICI ¹, Roberto COZZOLINO ², Andrea ATZEI ³, Riccardo LUCHETTI ² ✉

¹ Unit of Hand and Microsurgery, Jewish Hospital of Rome, Rome, Italy; ² Rimini Hand Surgery and Rehabilitation Center, Rimini, Italy; ³ Fenice Hand Surgery and Rehabilitation Team, Treviso, Italy

The wrist has a very complex structure and alteration of its components due to trauma creates challenging scenarios for the hand and wrist surgeon. Wrist arthroscopy was developed in 1979 as a diagnostic instrument for intraarticular pathologies but in recent years due to development of technology small optics and working instruments were introduce allowing its application not only for diagnosis but also for treatment. Nowadays hand surgeons use arthroscopic method to repair intra-articular ligaments for example the triangular fibrocartilage complex, scapholunate and lunotriquetral which can emerge as a focal injury or in association to perilunate dislocation, carpal fracture or distal radius fracture. Arthroscopy is also used to assist the reduction of bone fracture like distal radius or carpal bones in order to have a precise reduction restoring articular anatomy and by this avoiding future articular degeneration changes due to the fracture. In this review article we exposed how arthroscopy of the wrist can be applied to solve traumatic lesion by itself as mini-invasive procedure or assist the open approach to get a more anatomic reconstruction and get better outcomes. This by reviewing the literature and presenting our personal experience.

KEY WORDS: Arthroscopy; Wrist; Wounds and injuries; Fractures, bone; Anterior cruciate ligament injuries; Joint dislocation