Hand/Wrist News

Patients with a flail chest scored higher on every single variable when treated surgically with locked plate fixation as opposed to nonoperative care, according to a pilot study of 22 patients.

An instructional lecture at this year’s congress will evaluate the treatment of scaphoid fractures, which account for 60% of carpal fractures, according to the abstract.

SAN DIEGO — In a presentation here at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Scottish investigators encouraged counseling younger patients with recurrent shoulder dislocations about the possible risk of failure following an arthroscopic repair for shoulder instability.

SAN DIEGO — Distal scaphoid resection arthroplasty for the treatment of degenerative arthritis secondary to scaphoid nonunion has satisfactory long-term results, according to the results of a study presented here.

SAN DIEGO — Volar locked plating is not ideal for restoring normal radiographic measurements of volar tilt, radial inclination, ulnar variance and radial height, according to a study presented here.

SAN DIEGO — A study involving 137 prostheses in 128 patients who underwent reverse shoulder arthroplasty showed an overall complication rate of 20% and 12% reoperation rate. However, study investigators noted that those rates varied by the patient’s pathology.

A study investigating open reduction and internal fixation for patients with metacarpal fractures shows a 20% reoperation rate for hardware removal and tenolysis.

The treatment of displaced clavicle fractures has historically been mostly nonoperative. However, several recent peer-reviewed clinical outcome studies have demonstrated a significantly higher nonunion rate for displaced fractures treated nonoperatively than previously published. Also, other recent studies have shown improved fixation with modern implants and improved surgical results with plate fixation compared to historical reports.

Results of a population-based study indicate that strategies are needed to increase physician awareness of Dupuytren’s disease symptoms and treatment options.

Open reduction and internal fixation of severe and severely displaced extra-articular fractures of the scapula can yield near-normal function and a low complication rate, data from a prospective, single-surgeon study suggest.