Sep 14–20, 2026 · 27 new studies, 10 reviews · Hand & Upper Extremity archive · All weeks
The new Hand & Upper Extremity research The Reduction sent the week of Sep 14–20, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
Get papers like these by email, free: subscribe to The Reduction, focused on your interests, on the days you pick.
A photograph-based virtual pathway for patients with Dupuytren's disease.
A photograph-based virtual triage pathway for Dupuytren's disease cut unnecessary clinic visits by 46% while maintaining high patient satisfaction, supporting remote assessment models for hand referrals.
Arthroscopic Radiolunate Fusion: Surgical Technique.
This technical article describes a stepwise arthroscopic radiolunate fusion technique for isolated post-traumatic arthritis that preserves the radioscaphoid joint and dart-throwing motion.
Patient Expectations After Distal Radius ORIF: A Guide for Surgeons.
Single-surgeon series of 34 distal radius ORIF patients found steady pain reduction and functional recovery by 3 months, offering benchmark timelines for return to driving and work.
Digital stethoscope recordings in 20 healthy volunteers revealed digit-specific acoustic signatures of flexor tendon gliding, providing reference data that could aid future diagnosis of conditions like trigger finger.
Intramedullary Fixation for Epibasilar Thumb Metacarpal Fractures: A Case Series.
A case series of four patients shows intramedullary nailing for epibasilar thumb metacarpal fractures enabled early motion, full opposition by 6 weeks, and prompt return to work.
A Delphi consensus by pediatric hand surgeons produced a new 3-tier classification for forearm deformity in multiple hereditary exostoses that showed substantially better interrater reliability than existing systems.
Anterior Deltoid to Biceps Transfer for Restoration of Elbow Flexion.
In 11 patients with unreconstructable brachial plexus/arm injuries, anterior deltoid-to-biceps transfer restored independent MRC grade 3 elbow flexion in most by one year.
Only about a quarter of hand fellowship graduates pursued academic careers, with female sex, plastics residency background, and higher publication output linked to academic and leadership roles.
A case report describes a rare neonatal upper limb compartment syndrome after uterine rupture managed conservatively without fasciotomy, showing normal function and growth at 10-year follow-up.
In this RCT of chronic tennis elbow, 'therapeutic-dose' radial shockwave therapy showed no benefit over minimal-dose treatment when combined with a home exercise program, arguing against high-dose ESWT protocols.
A case report demonstrates that arthroscopic debridement successfully treated MCP joint septic arthritis from a cat bite, offering a minimally invasive alternative to open arthrotomy.
Variability in the Preoperative Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication Management in Hand Surgery.
Single-center review found highly variable perioperative continuation of RA medications (especially biologics) before hand surgery, with only a 3.5% surgical site infection rate, highlighting need for standardized guidelines.
Impact of Non-Tobacco Nicotine Products on Postoperative Outcomes in Soft Tissue Hand Surgery.
In a matched cohort of over 36,000 patients, non-tobacco nicotine product use before elective hand soft tissue surgery was linked to higher rates of wound dehiscence, thromboembolism, and infection.
Revisiting the Original Narakas Classification of Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries.
This paper clarifies the original 1987 Narakas brachial plexus birth injury classification, correcting common misquotations that have distorted recovery expectations and prognosis for each group.
Very Early Outcomes in Endoscopic Versus Open Carpal Tunnel Release.
A prospective multicenter study found endoscopic carpal tunnel release led to less pain, better function, and faster return to work at days 3, 7, and 14 compared to open release.
A Medicare-based cost analysis found up to three corticosteroid injections before open release is most cost-effective for trigger finger, while office-based ultrasound-guided release is not cost-effective at current device prices.
Oblique Hand Radiograph as a Method to Measure Fifth Metacarpal Neck Fracture Angulation.
Oblique hand radiographs measure fifth metacarpal neck fracture angulation as reliably and accurately as CT, offering a practical alternative for clinical assessment.
Treatment Injuries in Dupuytren Contracture: A Population-Based Study of Filed Compensation Claims.
Finnish registry data show a low rate (4 per 1,000 operations) of compensation claims after Dupuytren contracture treatment, with nearly 30% deemed avoidable, mostly nerve/tendon injuries and infections.
This systematic review of 959 patients found nerve and tendon transfers both restore useful strength after cervical spinal cord injury, though brachialis-to-AIN nerve transfer outcomes were notably poor, guiding procedure selection.
Propensity-matched TriNetX analysis found ESRD/dialysis patients undergoing finger amputation had markedly higher rates of reoperation, subsequent ray or proximal amputation, osteomyelitis, and 1-year mortality.
In 1,585 conservatively treated distal radius fractures, first-week radiographic changes—especially volar tilt—predicted stabilization timing better than baseline measurements, potentially allowing reduced follow-up imaging.
Cadaveric biomechanical testing showed intramedullary threaded nails and dorsal plate/screw fixation perform similarly in strength and stiffness for metacarpal base fractures, even as proximal as 15% from the base.
In 169 patients with complex elbow fracture-dislocations, heterotopic ossification occurred in about a third and was linked to male sex, terrible triad injuries, and delayed surgery, worsening functional outcomes.
In 36 semiconstrained DRUJ (Aptis) arthroplasties followed a mean 4.4 years, pain improved and motion was preserved, but 27% needed revision despite 91% implant survival.
This technique paper describes using absorbable polydioxanone sutures to fix small osteochondral fragments in upper extremity intra-articular fractures, achieving union and joint congruity in a clinical case series.
In this small retrospective case-control study, upper limb botulinum toxin plus PT was linked to worse long-term hand function, wrist extension, and supination versus PT alone, suggesting a need to reconsider BoNT-A use in unilateral cerebral palsy.
Concordance and Discordance of Intraoperative Nerve Root Findings in Brachial Plexus Birth Injury.
In 162 BPBI patients, preoperative root-level classification agreed with intraoperative findings 83% of the time, but C7-C8 injuries were frequently underestimated, arguing for careful C8 assessment and reinterpreting Horner syndrome as a severity marker rather than a sign of global injury.
This narrative review found no clinical study has shown microscope-assisted nerve repair to be functionally superior to loupe-assisted repair, with biological factors like age and delay dominating outcomes instead.
Osseointegration of the Upper Extremity.
This review outlines current osseointegration strategies for upper extremity amputations, highlighting their potential to overcome socket prosthesis limitations and improve functional control.
The Role of Amputation and Myoelectric Prosthetic Fitting in Traumatic Adult Brachial Plexus Injury.
Reviews elective amputation with myoelectric prosthetic fitting as an emerging option for adults with complete brachial plexus injury who fail nerve reconstruction, noting good function and satisfaction despite persistent neuropathic pain.
Movement is a Sensory Phenomenon.
This conceptual article explores how sensory feedback is fundamental to movement and argues that sensory restoration remains behind motor advances in bionic hand reconstruction.
Modern Concepts in the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Kienbock Disease.
Reviews modern understanding of Kienböck disease pathogenesis, highlighting biomechanical wrist/lunate morphology, vascular ischemia, and ligamentous instability as key drivers informing surgical strategy.
Management of Metacarpal and Phalangeal Fracture Malunions.
This review of metacarpal and phalangeal malunions discusses corrective osteotomy techniques, emphasizing that 3D-printed cut guides and software planning are improving surgical correction of functionally significant malalignment.
The authors propose a practical classification (Groups A, B, C) to guide surgeons in choosing conservative versus surgical treatment for hand fractures based on evidence and experience.
Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum in the Young Athlete.
Reviews diagnosis and treatment of capitellar osteochondritis dissecans in young throwing/gymnastics athletes, noting osteochondral autograft/allograft transplantation now favors better outcomes than isolated debridement for larger unstable lesions.
Denervation surgery of the hand and wrist: A scoping review.
This scoping review of 72 studies finds hand and wrist denervation surgery is generally safe and effective for pain relief while preserving motion, but high-quality comparative evidence is lacking.
Surgical Techniques to Manage the Unstable Volar Lunate Facet Fragment of Distal Radius Fractures.
This review outlines distal radius anatomy, surgical exposures, and fixation techniques for managing unstable volar lunate facet fragments to avoid radiocarpal and DRUJ instability.
Home · All weeks · Archive · Subscribe · FAQ
© 2026 The Reduction