Abstract
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.”:ResultA 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.
Highlights
Focal chondral and osteochondral injuries in the wrist are likely common and a cause of wrist pain.[1]
The treatments used in these articles were arthroscopic drilling, osteochondral autograft (13), and/or juvenile articular cartilage allograft (12)
To better describe the appearance of wrist cartilage injuries, Culp et al.[18] have provided a modified Outerbridge classification,[19] with Grade I representing softening of the hyaline surface, Grade II consisting of fibrillation and fissuring, Grade III representing a fibrillated lesion of varying depth in the articular surface, and Grade IV having a full-thickness defect down to bone
Summary
Focal chondral and osteochondral injuries in the wrist are likely common and a cause of wrist pain.[1] Those injuries could be divided into 3 groups related to injuries of ligaments, fractures, and the vascular supply. 2. Lunotriqeutral injuries (LT) and the associated chondral injury; hamate arthrosis lunotriquetral ligament tear (HALT).. The wrist joint connects the ends of the radius and ulna with 8 carpal bones (the scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, and hamate), which are stabilized by 24 ligaments (Fig. 1).[2] Subsequently, chondral and osteochondral injuries and secondary development of osteoarthritis (OA) are often concomitant with ligament injuries, such as: 1. Scapholunate ligament injuries (SL)—leading to development to an advanced scapholunate collapse (SLAC) and a gradually increasing development of OA.[3 ] Cartilage 00(0)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
