Functional outcomes after surgical treatment of isolated scaphotrapeziotrapezoid osteoarthritis: Retrospective single-center 24-case series

Abstract

Isolated scaphotrapeziotrapezoid (STT) osteoarthritis has functional consequences on the wrist. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the functional outcomes of patients managed surgically during the last 12 years at the Toulouse University Hospital, regardless of the surgical technique used, for isolated STT osteoarthritis. We performed a single-center retrospective observational study using the CCAM database. The inclusion criteria were patients treated surgically for isolated STT osteoarthritis who did not respond to conservative treatment, with at least 6 months of clinical and radiological follow-up. Twenty-four patients were treated between 2006 and 2018. Partial arthroplasty of the distal pole of the scaphoid with or without interposition and total trapeziectomy had been performed on these patients. The mean follow-up was 79±46.8 months. The wrist range of motion (ROM) and the Kapandji score were not significantly reduced postoperatively. The mean postoperative QuickDASH score was 29.15±8.46. The mean pain assessed using a visual analog scale was 6.6±1.17 preoperatively versus 1.25±1.51 postoperatively (P=0.003). Statistical subgroup analysis found no predictive factor for a better postoperative QuickDASH score, and no surgical technique was superior at halting the progression of intracarpal misalignment and postoperative ROM. Surgical treatment of isolated STT osteoarthritis resistant to conservative treatment leads to significant functional improvement, particularly in terms of pain, without altering the wrist's overall mobility.