Distal Ulna Temporary Epiphysiodesis With a Surgeon-Made Staple

Premature growth arrest of the distal radius can lead to ulnar positive variance. When larger discrepancies of length occur between the ipsilateral distal radius and ulna (>2.5 mm), patients may become symptomatic because of ulnar abutment syndrome or instability of the distal radioulnar joint. Depending on the age of the child and remaining growth potential, a permanent epiphysiodesis or ulnar shortening osteotomy may not be the ideal treatment. Guided growth and temporary epiphysiodesis are techniques commonly used in the lower extremity. Although these techniques can theoretically be used to treat the upper extremity, commercially available hardware options tend to be too large for this region of anatomy. We describe a technique for temporary distal ulnar epiphysiodesis with a surgeon-made staple.