Purpose: In this study, the efficiency of arthroscopic approach employed in patients suffering from chronic wrist pain was analyzed in terms of diagnosis and treatment.
Patients and Method: The wrists of 31 patients who had chronic wrist pain were analyzed in our study. Pre-arthroscopy diagnoses of the patients were compared to those following the arthroscopic intervention. Pre- and post-operative daily functions of 21 patients who were treated arthroscopically were evaluated using the Q-DASH-T questionnaire. Indicated pain levels were evaluated according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
Results: The mean follow-up period was 8 months (range, 4-12 months). Pre- and post-operative diagnoses from 24 patients (96%) were coherent. Twenty-one patients (67.7%) were treated using arthroscopic techniques. While the patients had indicated a mean pre-operative pain score of 6 (range, 4-8) according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the mean the pain score went down to 1 point (range, 0-3) following the arthroscopic procedure. The mean pre-operative wrist grip strength of 24 kg was found to be 26 kg after the surgery. The patients who received a mean score of 18 points in the Q-DASH-T questionnaire during the initial examination got 11 points in their final examinations.Open surgery was required in ten patients (31%) subsequent to the arthroscopic procedure.
Discussion and Findings: In conclusion, wrist arthroscopy performed on patients with chronic wrist pain was found to be efficient in the assessment of diagnosis and treatment while successful results were attained through surgery.
Key words: Wrist, arthroscopy, wrist arthroscopy, chronic wrist pain, triangular fibro-cartilage complex
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