[Proximal carpectomy versus four-cornered arthrodesis in patients with lesions SLAC and SNAC]

Advanced scafosemilunar collapse (SLAC) and advanced scaphoid pseudoarthrosis (SNAC) collapse are the result of trauma causing scaphoid fracture and the consequent pseudoarthrosis resulting in abnormal kinematics of the wrist and a scapholunate ligament injury, respectively. Current surgical options for SLAC/SNAC treatment include partial arthrodesis, carpal proximal row resection.

Retrospective, cross-cutting and descriptive study was carried out in the period from January 2010 to December 2015. 52 patients operated on with 4-cornered arthrodesis and 19 patients with carpectomy were studied.

71 patients, 62 male patients and 9 female patients were analysed. For the carpectomy procedure were 5 female patients, for patients with four-corner arthrodesis 48 male patient and 4 female patient were included. 48 patients with SNAC and 23 patients with SLAC were identified. 19 carpectomies and 52 arthrodesis of four corners of the total patients 65 of them were carried without any complications, 3 patients with delay of consolidation two with residual pain, and one with superficial infectious process.

The four-corner arthrodesis technique involves longer surgery and costs in relation to carpectomy, however arthrodesis has a faster return to pain-improvement work with respect to carpectomy; the final decision will depend on the case, the patients activity.