Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2026 · 23 new studies, 10 reviews · Hand & Upper Extremity archive · All weeks
The new Hand & Upper Extremity research The Reduction sent the week of Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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In a retrospective cohort of 56 pediatric trigger thumb releases, WALANT achieved equivalent outcomes to general anesthesia while cutting OR time, hospital stay, and costs substantially, supporting broader pediatric use.
In thumb CMC arthritis with MCP hyperextension, arthrodesis reliably corrected the hyperextension deformity while trapeziectomy did not, though functional score differences between procedures were not significant after adjustment.
Dynamic ultrasound interpretation, greater evaluator experience, and higher probe frequency (up to 70-MHz) each significantly improved nerve fascicle differentiation compared to static imaging and lower frequencies.
Pencil Grip X-Ray View Improves Detection of Early Wrist Arthritis.
In 29 patients with wrist arthritis, the pencil grip X-ray view showed significantly greater radioscaphoid joint space narrowing than standard PA views, improving detection of early SLAC wrist arthritis.
Cadaveric mapping shows dorsal and palmar STT ligament insertions differ in distance from the joint surface, suggesting arthroplasty resections should prioritize proximal trapezium/trapezoid over distal scaphoid to preserve stability.
Exploring Lower Tourniquet Pressures in Upper Extremity Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
In a randomized trial, individualized tourniquet pressures based on systolic blood pressure achieved equivalent surgical field quality and pain control as fixed 250 mmHg pressure while using lower overall pressures.
In geriatric distal radius fractures, volar locked plating gave modestly better ROM, grip strength, and PROMIS scores with fewer malunions/nonunions/tendon ruptures than dorsal bridge plating, though clinical differences were small.
Distal Radius Fracture Pattern Correlates with Pronator Quadratus Injury Severity.
In 148 distal radius fractures, dorsal angulation and greater dorsal translation correlated with more severe pronator quadratus muscle injury, while partial-articular and volarly angulated fractures were protective.
CT analysis of 100 wrists identified two distinct volar rim anatomic patterns, with a subset showing minimal distance between the watershed line and joint surface that raises risk of intra-articular screw penetration during volar plating.
In 28 patients with volar scapholunate ligament injuries, volar capsulodesis provided durable long-term function, low complication rates, and about 79% return to prior work at a mean 7-year follow-up.
Radioscaphoid Pressures and Carpal Kinematics After Wrist Ligament Sectioning.
Cadaver wrist testing showed that sectioning key dorsal and interosseous ligaments increases scaphoid/lunate malalignment and radioscaphoid joint pressure, supporting a mechanism for progression to SLAC wrist if untreated.
A network meta-analysis found trapeziectomy (with or without ligament reconstruction) offers lower reoperation risk and better patient-reported outcomes than arthrodesis or joint replacement for thumb base arthritis, though joint replacement showed the best pain/function scores despite higher revision risk—insufficient evidence yet to recommend routine joint replacement.
Adding A2 pulley partial release and FDS tendon splitting to A1 pulley release for pediatric trigger finger resulted in no recurrences and no pain at long-term follow-up across 38 digits.
Endoscopic release of the lacertus fibrosus at the elbow: an anatomical feasibility study.
In a cadaveric feasibility study, endoscopic lacertus fibrosus release via a small proximal portal achieved complete release with full visualization and no neurovascular injury in all specimens.
Prospective Analysis of Transarterial Embolization in Treating Hand Osteoarthritis.
In 14 patients with thumb CMC osteoarthritis, transarterial embolization significantly reduced pain (VAS) at 1 and 6 months with no major complications, suggesting it as a promising minimally invasive option after failed conservative care.
TEA for post-traumatic sequelae of proximal ulna/radius fractures is technically demanding but achieves 73% 10-year survival free of revision, similar to results for distal humerus fracture sequelae.
Surgical outcomes of upper extremity neuropathies caused by benign soft tissue tumours.
Surgical excision of benign soft tissue tumors causing upper extremity nerve compression significantly improved pain and DASH scores, though preoperative motor deficits, larger tumor size, and diabetes predicted worse outcomes.
Elbow CT Hounsfield unit measurements, especially at the trochlear notch and capitulum, correlate well with DXA and may help screen for osteoporosis when DXA isn't available preoperatively.
Outcomes of Distal Radius Autograft in Adolescent Scaphoid Nonunion Repair.
In adolescent scaphoid nonunions, ORIF with distal radius autograft achieved union in all cases (94% by 6 months) with improved carpal alignment and good return to activity, supporting this as an effective treatment.
The new MRI-based Munich Elbow Soft Tissue (MEST) classification for grading soft-tissue injury severity after simple elbow dislocation showed substantial inter- and excellent intrarater reliability, supporting its clinical use.
Minimally Invasive Screw Fixation of Olecranon Fractures.
In 31 patients, minimally invasive intramedullary screw fixation for undisplaced olecranon fractures yielded good functional outcomes, low complication rates, and no major intraoperative issues.
Preoperative intra-articular steroid injections did not affect radiological or clinical outcomes of either LRTI arthroplasty or arthrodesis for thumb CMC osteoarthritis, supporting both procedures as viable options after steroid use.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Predictors of Amyloidosis.
In this large cohort study, heart failure and other comorbidities were identified as key risk factors that could help clinicians decide which carpal tunnel syndrome patients warrant tenosynovial biopsy to screen for amyloidosis.
Current Indications and Outcomes of Arthroscopic Treatment for Radial-Sided Wrist Injuries.
Wrist arthroscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing radial-sided ligament injuries and is increasingly useful as an adjunct in fixing distal radius and scaphoid fractures.
Peer Review in Upper-Extremity Surgery: Essential Strategies for Reviewers.
Offers practical guidance for peer reviewers in hand/upper-extremity surgery, covering manuscript evaluation strategies, bias, conflicts of interest, and common methodological pitfalls.
Etiologies of Wrist Arthritis in the Young Patient.
This review outlines causes of wrist arthritis in young patients, spanning traumatic (SLAC, SNAC, post-fracture) and rarer nontraumatic idiopathic, congenital, metabolic, and inflammatory etiologies.
Neural Networks and Computer Vision.
This review explains basic neural network concepts and current applications relevant to hand surgeons, aiming to demystify AI for clinical use.
Ischemia Time in Extremity Allotransplantation: A Comprehensive Review.
Review recommends reperfusion within 5-6 hours of warm ischemia (3 hours to avoid functional deficits) and within 10-12 hours of cold ischemia to optimize limb allotransplant survival and function.
This narrative review highlights that capitate fractures are often missed on plain films, require CT/MRI for accurate diagnosis, and need individualized operative or nonoperative treatment to prevent avascular necrosis and nonunion.
Total wrist arthroplasty: recent advances and current recommendations.
This review argues modern total wrist arthroplasty gives good function and pain relief but implant development has stagnated, so surgeons must refine technique and anticipate a learning curve to optimize outcomes.
This technique paper (no abstract data) describes using artificial dermis with a medial second-toe flap to reconstruct fingertip degloving injuries while sparing the toenail donor site.
Review of Replantation Services from a Level One Trauma Center in India.
A retrospective review of 77 replantations in 63 patients at an Indian level-1 trauma center found finger replantation most common (often from agricultural injuries), with highest success rates for scalp, hand, and thumb replants, underscoring the value of dedicated multidisciplinary replantation services.
Peri-articular fractures of the hand.
This review discusses peri-articular hand fractures, emphasizing that management must balance articular reduction with ligament/tendon integrity and that treatment—operative or nonoperative—should be individualized.
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