Resurfacing Capitate Pyrocarbon Implant for the treatment of advanced wrist arthritis in the elderly: a retrospective...

Advanced forms of wrist osteoarthritis in the elderly are quite common and often under-treated, preferring a conservative management of the condition due to the age of the patient. However, in elderly people who are still active, sporty and physically demanding, surgical management of wrist osteoarthritis should be considered. Proximal Row Carpectomy associated with a Resurfacing Capitate Pyrocarbon Implant (RCPI), allows the management of a wide range of wrist arthrosis, involving both the radio-carpal and the mid-carpal joints. This treatment has been already reported as a solution in younger people affected by degenerative pathologies of the wrist, giving overall good results. Authors aimed at verifying how this technique could be useful in elderly patients, resolving the severe pain often related to this pathology and letting them recover strength and motion.

This is a retrospective analysis involving 7 cases of elderly men (mean age = 68 y.o.), suffering from severe wrist arthritis and treated with RCPI between 2016 and 2021.

All patients reported a return to manual activities between 6 and 12 months after surgery, significantly improving pain. Two patients complained moderate pain under strain at follow-up, with residual difficulty in performing manual tasks. In all cases, an increase of strength and improvement in terms of stiffness was registered. No cases of infections or implant mobilization were reported.

RCPI combined with proximal row carpectomy shows satisfying results in all published studies and it has been confirmed in our series as well. Indications for this procedure should be widened to elderly people, as useful alternatives to more aggressive salvage procedures, such as total prosthesis or arthrodesis.