Type and outcome of reconstructive surgery for different patterns of psoriatic arthritis

To describe our experience of musculoskeletal surgery in patients with different patterns of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

From 1986 to 1996, 71 operations in 43 patients with established PsA were performed at our institution. The patterns of PsA recognized in this patient group were: distal PsA, oligoarticular PsA, and polyarticular PsA, with or without associated spondylitis. Surgical findings and procedure, intra- and postoperative complications were recorded. Nineteen patients were available for clinical evaluation, both by conventional surgeon generated and by patient generated self-administered questionnaires.

The majority of patients had polyarticular PsA. All operations in patients with distal PsA were distal interphalangeal (DIP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint fusions. All operations in patients with oligoarticular PsA involved the hip or knee. Polyarticular patients underwent a range of procedures. Soft tissue contractures and bone loss required specific attention in 14 procedures. In the 19 patients who were reviewed clinically, conventional scoring of individual procedures showed good to excellent results. Patient oriented outcomes had low scores compared to a disease-free general population.

The 3 principal patterns of PsA are associated with different types of surgery. Although traditional surgeon generated scores evaluating individual procedures indicated results comparable to patients who have osteoarthritis, patient generated outcome measures of global health and function scored substantially lower than a general, arthritis-free population, reflecting the burden of polyarticular involvement.