Maintaining wrist function in severe rheumatoid arthritis: a case study of revision Swanson wrist arthroplasty staged via a wrist fusion in rheumatoid arthritis.

We present a case of revision Swanson wrist arthroplasty staged via a wrist fusion in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Due to extensive bone loss in the rheumatoid patient, it may not be possible initially to revise a wrist arthroplasty; however after fusion with a bone graft to regain bone stock we have demonstrated that this is possible. It may even be possible to convert such a fusion to a total wrist arthroplasty.