Sauvé-Kapandji procedure in a patient with wrist disarticulation: case report

The advantage of preserving the distal radioulnar joint in wrist disarticulation is that full forearm rotation is possible if the joint is intact, which improves the capability of the amputee. The Sauvé-Kapandji procedure has been performed to treat rheumatoid or post-traumatic chronic instability and/or arthritis of the distal radioulnar joint. We report a patient with wrist disarticulation that presented to us with limited supination of the wrist due to an injured distal radioulnar joint. We performed the Sauvé-Kapandji procedure, and the patient could regain functional supination of the forearm without losing the ulnar styloid flare that improved prosthetic suspension. This case suggests that the Sauvé-Kapandji procedure can be performed to maintain the advantage of wrist disarticulation even when the initial trauma involves an irreparable injury of the distal radioulnar joint.