Arthroscopic Arthrolysis of the Wrist
摘要
Wrist stiffness is a common condition after a surgical procedure or trauma and can be classified as intra-articular, capsular, or extra-articular. Arthrofibrosis is stimulated as well by prolonged immobilization and may involve the radiocarpal, distal radioulnar, and/or ulnocarpal joints. Midcarpal (MC) joint is infrequently involved. In case of failure of conservative treatment, arthroscopic arthrolysis could be an effective treatment to improve the range of motion of the wrist. The “inside-out progressive arthrolysis” technique represents a step-by-step procedure for the treatment of wrist stiffness and could be used for the radiocarpal (RC) joint, midcarpal joint (MC), and for the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). Each joint is inspected and progressively treated from the inner part to the outer capsular structures. The advantage of this minimally invasive technique is that intra-articular and capsular structures can be assessed and released in a standardized fashion.