Aug 3–9, 2026 · 22 new studies, 10 reviews · Hand & Upper Extremity archive · All weeks
The new Hand & Upper Extremity research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 3–9, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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At an urban safety-net hospital, marginal housing and lack of a primary care provider predicted missed hand clinic follow-up, while bone, tendon, and nailbed injuries predicted better attendance—highlighting targets for improving follow-up rates.
A global meta-analysis of 71.5 million births found brachial plexus birth injury incidence averages 1.4/1000 but varies widely by country, suggesting unexplored population-level risk factors beyond known clinical predictors.
Three-Dimensional Planning and Patient-Specific Instruments in Complex Forearm Malunion.
A case report shows 3D planning and patient-specific instruments enabled precise correction of a complex adult both-bone forearm malunion with DRUJ instability, restoring pain-free motion and union.
In 82 carpal tunnel release patients, patient-reported outcomes improved clinically by 6-9 months and plateaued at 12-14 months, well before nerve conduction studies normalized, arguing against routine postoperative electrodiagnostics.
Two case reports show scaphoid excision with four-corner fusion successfully treated acute perilunate dislocations complicated by severe capitate head osteochondral lesions, achieving union and satisfactory function.
Locked Scapholunate Instability Presenting as a Progressive Injury.
This case report describes scapholunate instability progressing over six weeks to a locked proximal pole scaphoid dislocation, emphasizing the need for close follow-up to catch progression toward perilunate instability.
Ulnar Impaction Syndrome Secondary to Chronic Monteggia Fracture: A Case Report.
A case report shows that diaphyseal ulnar-shortening osteotomy alone safely treated ulnar impaction syndrome from a chronic stable Monteggia fracture, without causing proximal radial head migration.
In this 15-patient series, pediatric perilunate injuries were rare, often high-energy transscaphoid patterns with treatment delays, yet yielded good-to-excellent functional outcomes without posttraumatic arthritis.
Socioeconomic and Demographic Influences on Trigger Finger Management: A Retrospective Cohort study.
In a cohort of 2,639 trigger finger patients, age, race, and insurance status—but not education, sex, or comorbidities—independently influenced likelihood of surgical release, revealing socioeconomic disparities in care.
In 16 patients with isolated axillary nerve injury, using partial radial-to-axillary nerve transfer as the first-line surgical treatment produced significant gains in shoulder strength and motion without donor-site morbidity, even when performed late.
In a Swedish registry study, adolescents from higher socioeconomic areas had more fractures/sprains while young children in low-socioeconomic areas had more burns/crush injuries, highlighting need for targeted prevention.
Outcomes of Implant Removal After Failed Radial Head Arthroplasty:An Average 7-Year Follow-up Study.
In 25 elbows followed ~7 years after removal of failed radial head implants, most patients improved and pain from loosening resolved in 76%, supporting implant removal as a viable salvage option despite risk of proximal radioulnar impingement.
In a simulated meniscectomy study, pituitary rongeurs produced significantly higher finger and thenar forces than Ferris-Smith forceps, suggesting rongeur use may contribute more to surgeon hand/thumb strain.
Reconstruction of a Base of Fifth Metacarpal Tumor Using the Dubert Procedure: A Case Report.
A case report describes using the Dubert procedure (fusing the fifth to fourth metacarpal shaft with bone graft) to reconstruct a resected fifth metacarpal base tumor, preserving stability and motion at 6-month follow-up.
In patients over 65 with distal radius fractures treated with volar locking plates, second metacarpal cortical percentage (a bone density surrogate) did not predict loss of reduction—screw positioning and fracture severity mattered more.
Can Artificial Intelligence Assess Distal Radius Fracture Stability?
AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude) showed only fair-to-moderate agreement with hand surgeons in classifying distal radius fracture stability, and are not yet reliable for clinical triage.
A survey of 225 hand/upper limb surgeons found 77% would incise directly through a tattoo overlying a planned incision rather than preserve it, prompting a proposed patient-centered decision algorithm (ART) for consent discussions.
A dual-pedicle FDMA flap with intraoperative perfusion testing achieved 100% flap survival and good sensory/functional outcomes in 30 patients undergoing complex thumb reconstruction.
An international survey of 262 hand surgeons found strong consensus on surgical treatment for Stener lesions and displaced avulsion fractures but notable variation in managing complete UCL tears without a Stener lesion, pointing to need for better evidence.
A systematic review of 75 studies found socioeconomic status, especially insurance status, is the most common social determinant linked to delays in accessing and receiving hand/upper-extremity care.
In a matched cohort of diabetic patients with distal radius fracture fixation, preoperative GLP-1 receptor agonist use was not linked to increased complications and was associated with fewer 180-day ED visits/readmissions, supporting perioperative safety.
This meta-analysis found excision under local anesthesia for type B ulnar polydactyly gave the highest parental satisfaction and lowest complication rates compared to suture ligation or excision under general anesthesia.
Dupuytren's disease: a state-of-the-art review.
This state-of-the-art review covers Dupuytren's disease epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, and current non-surgical and surgical treatment options.
This narrative review argues that successful nerve transfer outcomes depend heavily on central nervous system neuroplasticity, not just peripheral reconstruction, and outlines its benefits and inherent limitations for reconstructive planning.
AAOS/ASSH evidence-based guideline offers nine recommendations for diagnosing and treating carpal tunnel syndrome in adults, while identifying gaps for future research.
Management of the infected total elbow arthroplasty.
This review outlines management strategies for infected total elbow arthroplasty, noting DAIR succeeds in under a third of acute cases while staged retention and two-stage reimplantation both achieve 70-80% success.
Electrical Stimulation: Enhancing Axonal Growth following Peripheral Nerve Injury.
Reviews evidence that brief intraoperative electrical stimulation may accelerate peripheral nerve axon regeneration and improve outcomes after nerve injury repair, based on animal and early human studies.
Distal nerve transfers for peripheral nerve injuries: indications and outcomes.
This review outlines how distal nerve transfers redirect healthy expendable nerves close to target muscles/skin to speed reinnervation with minimal donor morbidity, improving outcomes in peripheral nerve, brachial plexus, and spinal cord injuries.
Evolution and Application of Ultrasound for Flap Planning in Upper Extremity Reconstruction.
Reviews how preoperative ultrasound mapping of perforators improves accuracy, safety, and efficiency in planning upper extremity flap reconstructions.
Complications after total wrist arthroplasty.
This review found fourth-generation total wrist arthroplasty has acceptable early complication rates but frequent late loosening/osteolysis, with 70-80% 10-year survival and revision arthroplasty faring worse than arthrodesis.
Review with case examples on choosing osteochondral autograft versus allograft for treating large, unstable capitellar OCD lesions in overhead athletes.
Managing Difficult Problems in Small Joint Arthroplasty: Challenges, Complications, and Revisions.
This review outlines strategies for managing common complications—fracture, dislocation, pain, stiffness, and instability—following MCP, PIP, and CMC joint arthroplasty.
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