Perilunate dislocations and perilunate fracture dislocations (PLDs/PLFDs) are rare and often associated with poor outcomes. Heretofore, these outcomes have not been evaluated in a high-demand military population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes in a young, active population after sustaining PLD/PLFD injuries. We retrospectively reviewed the U.S. military service members who underwent surgical treatment for a PLD/PLFD (Current Procedural Terminology codes 25695 and 25685) between June 1, 2010, and June 1, 2014 through the Military Health System Management Analysis and Reporting Tool (M2) database, capturing patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Patient characteristics and outcomes were gathered; however, radiographic analysis was not possible. In this study, 40 patients (40 wrists) were included with an average follow-up of 47.8 months. The average age was 28.8 years. Twenty-two injuries (55%) were PLFD and 22 (55%) cases involved the nondominant extremity. On initial presentation, 11 (27.5%) were missed and 50% of patients were presented with acute carpal tunnel syndrome. Range of motion (ROM) was 74% and grip strength was 65% compared with the contralateral wrist; 78% reported pain with activity and only 55% remained on active duty status at final follow-up. Injuries to the nondominant extremity were significantly more likely to experience a good to excellent outcome and regained a more ROM. Patients with ligamentous PLD had less pain at rest and were more likely to return to sport. Worse outcomes can be expected for PLD/PLFD of the dominant extremity, transscaphoid PLFD, greater arc injuries, and those undergoing pinning alone. A high-demand patient may expect worse functional results with a higher degree of limitation postoperatively. The level of evidence is therapeutic IV.

Level IV: Systematic Review.

Background: Thumb trapeziometacarpal (TM) joint arthrosis is a common cause of thumb pain, which adversely affects hand function. Early arthrosis is characterized by capsular laxity, painful pinch and grip, and physical findings of joint tenderness and laxity. Dorsoradial capsulodesis (DRC) is a surgical technique used to stabilize the TM joint and treat early-stage arthrosis. We aim to evaluate the clinical outcomes of DRC for treating trapeziometacarpal instability in early-stage disease. Methods: Between 2003 and 2019, 23 patients underwent DRC. Patients with stage I TM arthritis and more than 6-month postoperative follow-up were included. Pain and disability scores were calculated along with physical examination and radiographic evaluation at the final follow-up. Results: At mean postoperative follow-up of 43.5 months, 13 patients with a mean age of 39.1 years were examined. The mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 5.7, and visual analog pain score was 0.5. Patients had no significant difference in strength or range of motion in the ipsilateral versus contralateral hand. Follow-up radiographs did not demonstrate arthritic changes. Conclusions: Dorsoradial capsulodesis is a technically simple and reasonable option for stabilizing the TM joint in patients with early-stage arthrosis. This intervention showed no midterm progression to advanced arthritis in this cohort.

WC patients undergoing carpal tunnel release (CTR) fare poorly as compared with non-WC patients in nearly every metric. Higher rates of postoperative pain with delayed return to work can be anticipated in a WC cohort. In addition, WC patients receive suboptimal preoperative workup, and it is possible that unnecessary surgery is being completed in these cases. These findings are important to consider when treating the WC patient with CTS.