Efficacy evaluation of dry arthroscopy technique in wrist arthroscopy for wrist joint injury

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of dry arthroscopy in the treatment of wrist joint injury. Methods A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 59 patients with wrist joint injuries admitted from January 2013 to January 2016. There were 48 males and 11 females, aged 15-69 years, with an average age of 34 years. Among the patients, there were 32 patients with old scaphoid fractures (including delayed diagnosis and treatment of scaphoid fractures or scaphoid fracture nonunion), 23 patients with intra articular fractures of distal radius, and four patients with chronic instability of lower ulnar radial joint. All patients were treated with dry arthroscopic surgery. During the operation, the operation time of bone grafting and the swelling degree of soft tissue around the joint which needed simultaneous incision were observed. Fracture healing, and joint stability were recorded after operation, and wrist function was evaluated by Mayo wrist function score. Results The average operation time of scaphoid bone grafting was 7 minutes. In patients with distal radius fractures requiring simultaneous incision and reconstruction of the lower ulnar radial ligament, there was no significant periarticular swelling, with normal anatomical layer and clear visual field. All patients were followed up for 6-28 months (average 9 months). All the old scaphoid fractures were healed, with the average healing time of 12.6 weeks. All distal radius fractures were anatomically repositioned during operation. All patients with chronic instability of the lower ulnar radial joint were seen stable recovery of the joint, with negative impact test of the lower ulnar and radial joints. The Mayo wrist function score of all patients averaged 95 points. Conclusion Dry arthroscopic technique can improve the efficiency of bone grafting under wrist arthroscopy, reduce the swelling of soft tissue around the joint, maintain clear anatomical layers of soft tissue, promote fracture healing and improve wrist function, especially applicable for wrist arthroscopy with minimally invasive bone grafting and wrist incision at the same time. Key words: Wrist injuries; Arthroscopy; Scaphoid bone; Radius fractures