Lunate migration following Darrach's procedure: a case report

We report a case of a 28-year-old female patient who underwent Darrach's procedure to her dominant right wrist affected by rheumatoid disease. She developed severe pain in the wrist 4 weeks postoperatively. Collapse of the scaphoid and proximal migration of the lunate was noted. Total wrist arthrodesis using the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen wrist arthrodesis plate was performed, which alleviated the pain. Darrach's procedure is described for conditions causing derangement of the distal radio-ulnar joint, the classical inflammatory cause being rheumatoid arthritis. It is however a potentially destabilising procedure. The extreme complication encountered in this case highlights the risk of Darrach's procedure if pre-existing ligamentous instability is present.