Abstract:
PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the objective individual functional outcome as well as the subjective physical and psychic quality of life after total wrist arthrodesis and partial wrist arthrodesis (such as STT-Arthrodesis and Four-Corner-Arthrodesis).
METHOD: 100 patients total were included: 44 patients with total wrist arthrodesis, 30 patients with STT-Arthrodesis, and 26 patients with Four-Corner-Arthrodesis were assessed in this study. The subjective physical and psychic quality of life was measured by the DASH-Questionnaire which was completed by 100 patients. In order to assess the objective individual functional outcome, the range of motion and the grip strength were analyzed from 48 of the 100 patients (21 total wrist arthrodesis, 17 STT-Arthrodesis, 10 Four-Corner-Arthrodesis). Additionally, of these 48 patients the Cooney Score was evaluated.
RESULTS: Patients with STT-Arthrodesis (mean DASH-Score 28) and Four-Corner-Arthrodesis (mean DASH-Score 29) showed better DASH-Scores than patients with total wrist arthrodesis (mean DASH-Score 44). These data show that patients with partial arthrodesis have a better subjective physical and psychic quality of life (expressed in the lower DASH-Score) than patients with total wrist arthrodesis (expressed in the higher DASH-Score).
Concerning the objective functional outcome of partial und total wrist arthrodesis the following results can be presented: patients with total wrist arthrodesis showed, as expected, no flexion/extension of the wrist and no radial/ulnar mobility of the wrist. Patients with STT-Arthrodesis reached a mean of flexion/extension of 48°/0°/45° and a mean of radial/ulnar mobility of 11°/0°/16°. Patients with Four-Corner-Arthrodesis reached a mean of flexion/extension of 32°/0°/21°and a mean of radial/ulnar mobility of 11°/0°/11°.
The grip strength, that was calculated as percentage of the grip strength of the contra lateral side did not show large differences between total wrist arthrodesis and both partial arthrodesis surgeries.
The Cooney Score presented poor mean results in patients with total and partial wrist arthrodesis.
CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that partial arthrodesis has less objective functional loss and a better subjective physical and psychic quality of life than total wrist arthrodesis. Moreover, the wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar mobility remain higher in patients with STT-Arthrodesis than in patients with Four-Corner-Arthrodesis. Regarding the poor Cooney Scores of patients with both total and partial arthrodesis we do not consider this score useful for a postoperative assessment of total and partial wrist arthrodesis.