Revision wrist arthroscopy after failed primary arthroscopic treatment

Background The etiologies and outcomes of cases of failed therapeutic wrist arthroscopy have not been well-described to date. Purpose The purposes of this study were to identify common preventable patterns of failure in wrist arthroscopy and to report outcomes of a series of revision arthroscopy cases. Patients and Methods Retrospective review of 237 wrist arthroscopies revealed 21 patients with a prior arthroscopy for the same symptoms, of which 16 were assessed by questionnaires and physical exam for this study. Results Six of sixteen patients (38%) had unrecognized dynamic ulnar impaction after débridement of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears, which resolved with arthroscopic wafer resection. Five (31%) had persistent distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability after initial treatment of TFCC tears, requiring arthroscopic repair at revision. Four (25%) experienced diffuse dorsal wrist pain initially diagnosed as TFCC tears, but dynamic scapholunate ligament injuries were found and addressed with radiofrequency (RF) shrinkage at reoperation. Two (13%) required further resection of the radial styloid, after initial débridement was insufficient to correct radioscaphoid impingement. At a mean of 4.8 years after repeat arthroscopy (range, 1.5-13.4 years), this cohort had significant improvements in pain and satisfaction with outcomes after revision arthroscopy. Conclusions The most common indications for repeat wrist arthroscopy were ligamentous instability (of the DRUJ or scapholunate ligament) and osteoarthritis (from dynamic ulnar impaction or radioscaphoid impingement). Although revision wrist arthroscopy may yield acceptable outcomes, careful assessment of stability and cartilage wear at index procedure is crucial.

Level IV Therapeutic.