Wrist and Distal Radioulnar Joint Arthroplasty: Maximizing Results in Difficult Conditions.

Traditional management of wrist arthritis consists of proximal row carpectomy, partial carpal fusions, or, in the event of pancarpal arthritis, total wrist fusion. Although proximal row carpectomy and partial wrist fusions preserve some motion at the wrist while relieving pain symptoms, the quality of results obtained from these procedures is not predictable or optimal in many instances. Management of hip, knee, ankle, and shoulder joints has evolved from arthrodesis to arthroplasty. The wrist joint is following the same pattern of evolution with the advent of reliable designs.