Eighteen cases of tendon transfer for isolated radial or posterior interosseous nerve palsy have been carried out in our unit over a period of 21 years. Fifteen patients were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 9.5 years. Nine had sustained high and six low radial nerve injury. We achieved 11 excellent, two good, one fair and one bad result. The main problems were loss of power of gripping and the occurrence of radial deviation, particularly in patients with flexor carpi ulnaris transfer to the extensor digitorum communis. During this time, our technique has evolved, including changes of the tendons transferred. Our final preference is a modified Tsuge procedure, using the pronator teres to restore extension of the wrist, the flexor carpi radialis for extension of the fingers and the palmaris longus for extension of the thumb. Abduction of the thumb is restored by a tenodesis of the abductor pollicis longus to the brachioradialis. This review justifies the final policy, in particular the preservation of flexor carpi ulnaris to maintain wrist stability and flexion.

For the patient (and the surgeon) the ideal wrist is one that has good mobility, however very often the optimal surgical treatment is one that provides effective pain relief. The patient must be informed of the potential complications and limitations of each procedure. The patient's psychological profile and functional requirements will determine how well he/she adapts to the changes. Also, each surgeon has beliefs and personal experiences that influence the treatment decision and final result. Proximal row carpectomy (PRC) and the Watson procedure are two reference operations for osteoarthritis secondary to scapholunate instability and scaphoid non-union (SLAC and SNAC). Beyond the early complications and drawbacks specific to each, they provide good results that are maintained over time. PRC, which can be performed up to Stage II, is mainly indicated in patients with moderate functional demands, while the Watson procedure is more often done on a patient who performs manual labour, as long as the radiolunate joint space is maintained. Complete denervation is effective in three out of four cases and preserves the remaining mobility. Because of its low morbidity, the procedure can be suggested in patients with a mobile wrist and low functional demands or in older patients, independent of their wrist mobility. Total wrist fusion is not only a rescue procedure. For a young patient who performs heavy manual labour with extensive osteoarthritis and progressive forms of Kienböck's disease, this procedure provides the greatest chance of returning to work and not being socially outcast. The role of osteochondral autografts, implants and wrist prostheses in the treatment arsenal need to be better defined.

Lesion to subcutaneous nerves is a well-known risk of orthopedic surgery and a significant cause of postoperative pain and dissatisfaction in patients. High-resolution ultrasound can be used to visualize the vast majority of small subcutaneous nerves of the upper and lower limbs. Ultrasound detects nerve abnormalities such as focal hypoechoic thickening, stump neuroma, and scar encasement, and provides information not only about the peripheral nerve itself but also about its relationship to adjacent anatomical structures. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the anatomy of the main subcutaneous nerves damaged during orthopedic surgery, recall at-risk procedures, and offer useful anatomic landmarks to help the sonographer identify and follow the nerves when an iatrogenic lesion is suspected.

Objectives Subcutaneous neuromas usually result from trauma and may lead to dissatisfaction in patients with a trigger point, loss of sensitivity in the relevant territory of innervation, and spontaneous neuropathic pain. Confirming clinically suspected cases of neuroma may prove difficult. The objective of this study was to evaluate the visibility and morphologic features of traumatic subcutaneous neuromas of the limbs with ultrasound (US). Methods Between January 2012 and August 2016, 38 consecutive patients clinically suspected of having subcutaneous neuromas were investigated with US. The diagnosis was confirmed on the basis of a focal morphologic abnormality of the nerve associated with trigger pain. Each neuroma was classified into 1 of 3 subtypes based on its injury pattern. The subtypes were terminal neuroma, spindle neuroma, and scar encasement, either isolated or associated with these subtypes. Results Forty‐four lesions were found in the 38 patients, including 29 spindle neuromas (65.9%), 14 terminal neuromas (31.8%) and 1 scar encasement with no nerve caliber abnormality (2.3%). Fifteen neuromas (35% of all neuromas) were associated with scar encasement. In 13 cases that required surgery, the diagnosis of neuroma or scar encasement could be surgically proven and confirmed the validity of the US findings. Conclusions Ultrasound can be used to show and classify subcutaneous nerves of the upper and lower limbs with high accuracy. The US trigger sign provides an indication of neuroma involvement in pain. This modality can play a substantial role both in the preoperative planning of neuroma surgery and in therapeutic US‐guided procedures.

IV.

Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging currently offer a detailed analysis of the peripheral nerves. Compressive and traumatic nerve injuries are the two main indications for imaging investigation of nerves with several publications describing the indications, technique and diagnostic capabilities of imaging signs. Investigation of entrapment neuropathies has three main goals, which are to confirm neuronal distress, search for the cause of nerve compression and exclude a differential diagnosis on the entire nerve. For traumatic nerve injuries, imaging, predominantly ultrasound, occasionally provides essential information for management including the type of nerve lesion, its exact site and local extension.

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Opening wedge osteotomy of the trapezial saddle was reported first by Kapandji and Heim (2002) as a possible surgical treatment for early trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis. This study evaluates the feasibility and anatomical risks of the procedure. Ten upper limbs from fresh cadavers were used for this anatomical and radiological study. A dorsolateral opening wedge osteotomy with a 10 degrees correction was performed on each specimen. CT scans and AP radiographs of all the wrists were performed before and after osteotomy to assess the correction of the slope angle, defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the second metacarpal and the axis of the trapeziometacarpal articulation. On standard radiographs, mean trapezial slope was 126 degrees preoperatively and 117 degrees postoperatively. On sagittal and coronal CT reconstructions, one case of trapezial translation and two impingements between trapezoid and trapezium bones were identified. Trapezial osteotomy is technically demanding with several possible complications, but merits further study for young patients with Eaton stage 1 or 2 osteoarthritis and an abnormal trapezial slope.