Arthroscopic treatment of partial scapholunate ligament tears in children with chronic wrist pain.

BACKGROUND

Scapholunate ligament injury is rare in the adolescent and pediatric population, and the results of treatment have not been well described. The purpose of the present study was to review the outcomes of arthroscopic management of patients with persistent wrist pain and scapholunate ligament injury as documented on arthroscopic examination who had had a failure of at least six months of nonoperative management.

METHODS

The medical records of thirty-two pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment of scapholunate ligament injuries were retrospectively reviewed to obtain preoperative and postoperative modified Mayo wrist scores, radiographic data, and intraoperative findings, including the classifications of interosseous ligament injury, chondral injury, and other abnormalities. Patients were contacted after a minimum of two years of follow-up for reevaluation of the Mayo wrist scores.

RESULTS

Arthroscopic evaluation revealed thirty Geissler type-II tears and two Geissler type-III tears. In addition to these scapholunate ligament injuries, seven of the thirty-two patients had partial tears of the short radiolunate ligament that appeared to be at the site of impaction from carpal subluxation, twelve had a triangular fibrocartilage complex injury, and twenty-seven had a chondral injury. The modified Mayo wrist scores showed improvement following arthroscopic débridement of partial-thickness tears and associated chondral injuries. The average wrist score was 66.3 preoperatively and 91.6 at an average of forty-three months of follow-up. Eight patients required subsequent surgery because of deterioration in their clinical status. After a mean duration of follow-up of 30.8 months, the average wrist score was 87.1.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of pediatric and adolescent patients with wrist pain who have a failure of nonoperative management and who have a Geissler type-II scapholunate ligament tear on arthroscopic examination can have substantial long-term improvement following arthroscopic débridement of the tear combined with treatment of other associated injuries.