Orthobiologics in Hand Surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Orthobiologic agents are increasingly used as adjuvant therapies for upper-extremity conditions.
• Commonly treated conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain tenosynovitis, and distal radius fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a narrative review of current literature on orthobiologic agents in the upper extremity.
• To evaluate the evidence for various orthobiologics in treating hand and wrist pathologies.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of existing literature was performed.
• Studies included randomized control trials, case studies, and animal studies.
• Orthobiologics evaluated: bone morphogenetic proteins, platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate concentrate, mesenchymal stem cells, and amniotic membrane.

Main Results:

• Some clinical evidence supports orthobiologics for shoulder, elbow, and sports injuries.
• There is a limited amount of literature on their use for hand and wrist pathologies.
• The effectiveness of these agents for specific hand and wrist conditions remains largely unproven.

Conclusions:

• Orthobiologics represent an innovative approach to upper-extremity treatment.
• Further investigation is crucial to establish the efficacy and therapeutic value of orthobiologics for hand and wrist injuries.
• More research is needed to fully understand their role in treating upper extremity pathology.