Faculty Bibliography

Background: The objective of this study is to determine subclinical changes in hand sensation after brachial plexus blocks used for hand surgery procedures. We used Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing to detect these changes. We hypothesized that patients undergoing brachial plexus nerve blocks would have postoperative subclinical neuropathy detected by monofilament testing when compared with controls. Methods: In total, 115 hand surgery adult patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients undergoing nerve-related procedures were excluded as well as any patients with preoperative clinically apparent nerve deficits. Eighty-four patients underwent brachial plexus blockade preoperatively, and 31 patients underwent general anesthesia (GA). Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing of the hand was performed preoperatively on both the operative and nonoperative extremities and postoperatively at a mean of 11 days on both hands. Preoperative and postoperative monofilament testing scores were compared between the block hand and the nonoperated hand of the same patient, as well as between the block hands and the GA-operated hands. Results: There were no recorded clinically relevant neurologic complications in the block group or GA group. A statistically significant decrease in sensation in postoperative testing in the operated block hand compared with the nonoperated hand was noted. When comparing the operated block hand with the operated GA hand, there was a decrease in postoperative sensation in the operated block hand that did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Brachial plexus blockade causes subtle subclinical decreases in sensibility at short-term follow-up, without any clinically relevant manifestations.

Total wrist arthroplasty (TWA), first performed in the late 19th Century, is still an infrequently used operation. It is most commonly indicated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have pan-carpal wrist involvement. It is an alternative to total wrist arthrodesis in patients who wish to preserve joint motion. Patients must lead a low-demand lifestyle and have failed non-operative measures. Complications are not insignificant and have been reported to be as high as 43%. Modern generation implants most often fail due to dislocation or loosening. Because wrist arthrodesis remains the gold standard treatment, particularly in patients with higher physical demands, it remains to be seen whether TWA will gain greater acceptance as prosthetic designs evolve.

The management of distal radius fractures has evolved over time from a largely nonoperative paradigm to a more commonly performed operative procedures today. Surgical trends have similarly developed, with dorsal plating falling out of favor due to complications involving extensor tendon pathology as well as due to the ubiquity of the volar plate along with the advent of locking plate technology. However, with the improvement in design of newer generation dorsal plates, this technique should be used in the appropriate clinical situation, including dorsal comminution and angulation with concomitant carpal pathology. Outcome data supports dorsal plating and has been shown to be comparable to that of volar plating, with some unique advantages. As such, the technique of dorsal plating should have a role in surgical management of these injuries.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that affect hand surgeon operating room (OR) turnover time. We hypothesized that surgeon presence in the OR, decreased American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, smaller case type, and earlier case time, as well as other factors, decreased OR turnover time. Methods: A total of 685 hand surgery cases performed by 5 attending hand surgeons between September 2013 and December 2014 were identified. Turnover time, patient comorbidities (ASA class), surgeon, prior OR surgical procedure, current OR surgical procedure, location of the surgery (ambulatory surgical center [ASC] vs orthopedic specialty hospital [OSH]), time of surgery, and order of OR cases were recorded. The effect of surgeon routine variables, OR case factors, and patient health status on OR turnover was analyzed. Results: Turnover time was significantly shorter in cases where the surgeon remained in the OR during turnover (27.5 minutes vs 30.4 minutes) and when the surgeon incentivized OR staff (24 minutes vs 29 minutes). The ASC was found to have shorter turnover times than the OSH (27.9 minutes vs 36.4 minutes). In addition, ASA class, type of prior OR procedure, type of current OR procedure, and case order all significantly affected turnover time. Comparison of OR turnover time among the 5 surgeons revealed a statistically significant difference at the OSH but not at the ASC. Conclusion: OR turnover time is significantly affected by surgeon routine, location of surgery, patient ASA class, procedure type, and case order. Interestingly, the effect of hand surgeon routine on OR turnover time may be amplified at an academic OSH versus an ASC.

PURPOSE: To assess the risk of injury to the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve (DSBUN) with percutaneous pinning of commonly stabilized ulnar-sided structures. METHODS: Eleven fresh-frozen cadaveric upper extremities were assessed. Percutaneous pinning of the fifth metacarpal base and neck, lunotriquetral joint, ulnar styloid, and distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) with 1.4-mm Kirschner wires was performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Each specimen was then carefully dissected and the distance from each pin to the DSBUN was measured using a digital caliper. Direct injury to the DSBUN and pins found immediately adjacent to the nerve were recorded. RESULTS: Mean distance from the pin to the DSBUN at the fifth metacarpal neck was 5.0 +/- 1.5 mm; fifth metacarpal base, 2.3 +/- 2.2 mm; lunotriquetral joint, 1.8 +/- 1.6 mm; ulnar styloid, 0.8 +/- 1.1 mm; and DRUJ, 3.1 +/- 0.9 mm. Two of 11 ulnar styloid pins and 1 of 11 lunotriquetral pin directly penetrated the DSBUN, whereas 4 of 11 ulnar styloid pins, 3 of 11 fifth metacarpal base pins, and 2 of 11 lunotriquetral pins were directly adjacent to the DSBUN. There was an increased overall risk of DSBUN injury (risk of direct injury and risk of adjacent pin) with pinning of the ulnar styloid compared with fifth metacarpal neck and DRUJ pinning. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates the risk of iatrogenic injury to the DSBUN with percutaneous pinning of the ulnar styloid, lunotriquetral joint, and fifth metacarpal base. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We recommend identifying and protecting the nerve to mitigate the risk of iatrogenic injury when performing ulnar-sided pinning of structures from the ulnar styloid to the fifth metacarpal base.

The literature on the effect of ulnar styloid fractures (USFs) on concomitant distal radius fractures (DRFs) is mixed. We conducted a study to determine if associated ipsilateral USFs affect outcomes of DRFs. We retrospectively evaluated 315 DRFs treated (184 operatively, 131 nonoperatively) over a 7-year period. Concomitant USFs were identified. Mean follow-up was 12 months. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) outcome scores, and grip strength and wrist range of motion data, were collected. Statistical analysis was performed with Student t test and analysis of variance. Incidence of concomitant USF and DRF was higher (P < .0002) in the operative group (64.6%) than in the nonoperative group (39.1%). Patients with USFs had worse mean (SD) pain score, 1.80 (2.43) versus 0.80 (1.55) (P = .0001), DASH score, 17.03 (18.94) versus 9.21 (14.06) (P = .001), and SF-36 score, 77.16 (17.69) versus 82.68 (16.10) (P = .022). In the operative group, patients with USFs had more pain and poorer DASH Functional scores than patients without USFs. Results were similar in the nonoperative group. There was no difference in healing time between intra-articular and extra-articular fractures or between presence and absence of USFs. Concomitant occurrence of USFs and DRFs-which is associated with worse pain scores and lower functioning compared with USFs without DRFs-should prompt clinicians to counsel patients about delayed recovery.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate patient's perceptions of physician reimbursement for the most commonly performed surgery on the hand, a carpal tunnel release (CTR). METHODS: Anonymous physician reimbursement surveys were given to patients and non-patients in the waiting rooms of orthopaedic hand physicians' offices and certified hand therapist's offices. The survey consisted of 13 questions. Respondents were asked (1) what they thought a surgeon should be paid to perform a carpal tunnel release, (2) to estimate how much Medicare reimburses the surgeon, and (3) about how health care dollars should be divided among the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and the hospital or surgery center. Descriptive subject data included age, gender, income, educational background, and insurance type. RESULTS: Patients thought that hand surgeons should receive $5030 for performing a CTR and the percentage of health care funds should be distributed primarily to the hand surgeon (56 %), followed by the anesthesiologist (23 %) and then the hospital/surgery center (21 %). They estimated that Medicare reimburses the hand surgeon $2685 for a CTR. Most patients (86 %) stated that Medicare reimbursement was "lower" or "much lower" than what it should be. CONCLUSION: Respondents believed that hand surgeons should be reimbursed greater than 12 times the Medicare reimbursement rate of approximately $412 and that the physicians (surgeons and anesthesiologist) should command most of the health care funds allocated to this treatment. This study highlights the discrepancy between patient's perceptions and actual physician reimbursement as it relates to federal health care. Efforts should be made to educate patients on this discrepancy.

Distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) arthritis presents a challengingproblem. Surgical interventions include resectionarthroplasties, such as the Darrach procedure and hemiresectionarthroplasty, the Sauve-Kapandji procedure, andmore recently prosthetic replacement for either the ulnarhead or the entire DRUJ. Resection arthroplasties have beenassociated with complications, including instability andradioulnar convergence. The prosthetic replacements havebeen designed in an attempt to restore more normal DRUJkinematics. This paper provides a review of the anatomy andbiomechanics of the DRUJ and discusses the outcomes of theavailable surgical options for symptomatic DRUJ arthritis.The arthritic distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) is a difficultproblem. Many of the surgical interventionsdeveloped for this condition are associated with complications,such as instability and radioulnar convergence.Recently, prosthetic replacement of either the ulnar heador the entire DRUJ has been advocated in order to betterrestore the kinematics of the joint. A review of the anatomyand biomechanics of the DRUJ and a discussion of thenumerous surgical options and their outcomes is provided.

PURPOSE: To determine whether specific anatomic lesions of the scapholunate supporting structures are associated with the grades of scapholunate instability according to the Geissler classification. METHODS: Six fresh frozen cadaveric limbs underwent serial arthroscopic sectioning of the scapholunate supporting ligaments. To simulate a progressive scapholunate injury based on the current literature, sectioning occurred as follows: volar scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL), membranous SLIL, dorsal SLIL, radioscaphocapitate, long radiolunate, dorsal radiocarpal, dorsal intercarpal, and scaphotrapeziotrapezoid ligaments. We performed arthroscopic examination of the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints after each ligamentous sectioning and recorded the appearance of the scapholunate interval. RESULTS: There was a progressive increase in Geissler grade with sequential sectioning of the scapholunate supporting ligaments. In all specimens, Geissler grade 2 injury was associated with sectioning of intrinsic ligaments only. Geissler grade 3 injury first appeared with sectioning through the dorsal SLIL and continued through sectioning of the volar extrinsic ligaments. Geissler grade 4 injury did not occur until the dorsal extrinsic ligaments were sectioned. Statistical analysis indicated a linear relationship between ligament sectioned and Geissler grade, with deeper sections associated with a higher Geissler grade. CONCLUSIONS: In this cadaveric model, arthroscopically determined Geissler grade was associated with specific anatomic lesions of the scapholunate supporting ligaments. Sequential sectioning of the ligaments showed a progressive increase in Geissler grade. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Knowledge of the association of Geissler grade with pathoanatomy may aid the surgeon in deciding which reconstructive method is best.

PURPOSE: To describe the features of displaced intra-articular fractures confined to the volar rim of the distal radius and compare outcomes after their operative fixation to complete intra-articular and extra-articular fractures treated with operative fixation. METHODS: A total of 627 distal radius fractures were treated over a 6-year period. Twenty-eight patients had volar rim fractures (type 23-B3, as classified by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association [OTA]), all treated with operative reduction and fixation using a volar buttress plate. Clinical outcome information including radiographs, Short Form-36 health survey, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire were collected at regular postoperative intervals. Patients with volar rim fractures were compared with patients who sustained other types of operatively managed distal radius fractures (OTA types 23-A, 23-B1/B2, and 23-C). RESULTS: The most common type of volar rim fracture consisted of a single large fragment (OTA 23-B3.2; 46%), followed by comminuted fractures (OTA 23-B3.3; 36%). Restoration of radiographic parameters was similar between groups except for an increased volar tilt in volar rim fractures compared with group 23-B1/B2. Active wrist and finger motion improved in all groups except for wrist extension, which was less in the 23-B1/B2 groups. The 23-B1/B2 group had the greatest pain and worst Short Form-36 scores. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire scores were similar and without differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that patients with volar rim distal radius fractures can expect a rapid return to function with minimal risk for complications and have outcomes similar to other types of operatively treated distal radius fractures. Further investigation of type 23-B fractures (23-B1/B2) is warranted owing to evidence of diminished outcomes. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic III.