Factors affecting results of ulnar shortening for ulnar impaction syndrome

Although ulnar shortening osteotomy is the most frequently performed operation for ulnar impaction syndrome, little attention has been given to detect certain preoperative factors affecting clinical outcomes of this procedure. We asked whether preoperative factors influenced the postoperative score of ulnar shortening osteotomy combined with arthroscopic debridement of the triangular fibrocartilage complex. We retrospectively reviewed 51 patients (53 wrists) with ulnar impaction syndrome treated with this procedure. There were 28 males and 23 females ranging in age from 14 to 67 years (mean, 37.5 years). The minimum followup was 12 months (mean, 26.3 months; range, 12-95 months). At last followup, we determined a modified Mayo wrist score for each patient. Preoperative factors affecting the clinical score were identified using multiple regression analysis. The clinical score ranged from 40 to 100 points (mean, 84.5 points). A long duration of symptoms and workers' compensation predicted worse clinical scores. We recommend considering these two factors when deciding whether to perform this procedure.