Clinical and Patient-reported Outcomes After Total Wrist Arthroplasty and Total Wrist Arthrodesis

The wrist is often considered to be the fundament of the hand. Patients with a destroyed wrist joint caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis may suffer from pain and functional disabilities with impaired life quality. The traditional surgical solution for advanced wrist arthritis is a total wrist fusion (TWF). Although TWF creates a stable wrist with minimal pain, the prize is the joint motion. Total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) is a motion-preserving alternative, but has failed to achieve the widespread use of other joint replacement procedures. TWA is more costly and technically demanding than TWF, and also associated with more complications. In addition, there is no consensus regarding the functional benefit of a TWA compared to TWF since prospective, comparative studies are missing. Aim: The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to compare functional outcome and activity limitations up to two years after surgery with TWA or TWF.