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Excision of the distal ulna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

1987; British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery; Volume: 69-B; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1302/0301-620x.69b2.3818749

2044-5377

R J Newman,

Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies

The results of excision of the distal ulna in 34 wrists of 25 patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis of the distal radio-ulnar joint were reviewed. Rest pain had been cured or relieved in 77%, pain on pronation-supination in 86%, and limitation of pronation-supination in 90%, while 88% of the patients graded the result as excellent or fair. Despite this marked relief of symptoms, function of the upper limb was improved in only 25% of patients and remained unchanged in 60%. Ulnar subluxation of the carpus had occurred in 24% but seemed to be related to the destructive disease process rather than to the operation itself. The length of ulna resected was not related to the outcome of the operation.