[Arthroscopic triangular fibrocartilage complex trimming combined with oblique osteotomy shortening of distal ulna for ulnar impact syndrome].

Abstract

Objective: To explore clinical effect of arthroscopic modification of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) combined with oblique osteotomy shortening of distal ulna in treating ulna impact syndrome.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 49 patients with ulnar impingement syndrome admitted from 2017 to 2021, 3 patients were lost to follow-up, and 46 patients were finally included in study, including 23 males and 23 females, aged from 21 to 53 years old with an average of (36.5±3.3) years old. The patients were divided into TFCC group and control group according to different operation methods. Twenty-four patients in TFCC group, including 13 males and 11 females, aged from 21 to 53 years old with an average of (36.5±3.2) years old;10 patients on the left side and 14 patients on the right side;arthroscopic TFCC trimming combined with oblique osteotomy shortening of distal ulna was performed. Twenty-two patients in control group, including 10 males, 12 females, aged from 21 to 53 years old with an average of (36.5±3.3) years old;13 patients on the left side, 9 patients on the right side; oblique osteotomy of distal ulna was performed. Operative time, hospital stay, intraoperative bleeding and osteotomy healing time between two groups were observed and compared. Cooney wrist function score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate improvement of wrist function and pain before and 12 months after operation, respectively. The variation values of ulna and grip strength were compared.

Results: The follow-up time of TFCC group ranged from 12 to 21 months with an average of (15.10±2.67) months, and that of control group ranged from 12 to 20 months with an average of (15.06±2.81) months, there was no statistical significance between two groups (P>0.05). Operative time, osteotomy healing time, intraoperative bleeding and hospital stay in TFCC group were (68.51±13.50) min, (16.21±1.16) weeks, (25.13±4.22) ml and (7.35±1.20) d, respectively;while control group were (45.65±5.64) min, (17.46±2.06) weeks, (24.61±5.10) ml and (7.51±1.13) d, respectively; there were statistically significant differences in operative time and osteotomy healing time between two groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative bleeding and hospital stay between two groups(P>0.05). There were no significant differences in total score and scores of Cooney wrist joint function between two groups before operation(P>0.05). Pain, functional status, range of motion, grip strength and Cooney wrist function score in TFCC group were higher than those in control group at 12 months after operation (P<0.05). According to Cooney wrist joint function score at 12 months after operation, 16 patients got excellent results, 6 good, and 2 fair in TFCC group; while 7 excellent, 11 good and 4 fair in control group;there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). However, the proportion of wrist function recovery in TFCC group was higher than that in control group (P>0.05). At 12 months after operation, VAS of TFCC group (3.41±0.16) was lower than that of control group(3.52±0.13), P<0.005. There was no significant difference in ulnar variation between TFCC group and control group(P>0.05). The grip strength of TFCC group (93.6±10.1) % was better than that of control group (83.5±10.3) % (P<0.005).

Conclusion: Compared with oblique osteotomy shortening of distal ulna, TFCC trimming combined with oblique osteotomy shortening of distal ulna took longer to treat ulna collision syndrome, but the osteotomy healing time was shortened and wrist joint function was improved, especially pain, ulna variation, grip strength and motion were significantly improved.