Retrospective and Prospective Outcomes of Distal Radioulnar Joint Prosthesis Arthroplasty at a Single Center

Distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) arthritis can cause painful and limited motion of the forearm leading to decreased function. When conservative treatment options are exhausted, surgical treatments are the next step. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively and prospectively evaluate outcomes of Scheker DRUJ total arthroplasty at a single center and add to the limited data on this procedure.

In a retrospective and prospective cohort of 12 patients, 13 DRUJ prosthetics implanted from 2014 to 2021 were evaluated from a single center. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction with the procedure, including comparisons of preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, and willingness to repeat the procedure. Secondary outcomes included range of motion, subjective grip strength, need for hardware revision, subsequent procedures, and postoperative complaints.

Out of 12 patients that were at least 1-year after surgery from DRUJ arthroplasty, 1 was deceased at the time of final survey and 1 underwent bilateral DRUJ arthroplasty. Seven of 12 available patients were surveyed over the phone. On average, patient range of motion after surgery was 76° in each direction for pronation and supination. There was a clinically significant improvement in the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score and a statistically significant improvement in visual analog scale pain rating. Seventy-five percent of patients surveyed were satisfied with their outcomes and would undergo the surgery again. Only one patient required additional surgery, and there were no instances of hardware failure at an average follow-up of 40 months.

Our study has shown positive outcomes with decrease in pain, improvement in function via Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand evaluation, and subjective patient satisfaction, with a 100% prosthesis survival rate. The DRUJ arthroplasty prosthesis is a viable alternative to other DRUJ salvage procedures.

Therapeutic Level III.