Total joint arthroplasty. The wrist.

Total wrist arthroplasty, which has been performed in 101 patients, has proved to be a satisfactory procedure for the relief of pain and provision of mobility in the deformed wrist involved with rheumatoid arthritis. This procedure should not be performed after traumatic conditions in patients who expect to make heavy use of the wrist. Early cases were associated with technical problems in the development of the concept, but at present the procedure is reliable and is most often preferred to arthrodesis inpatients with rheumatoid arthritis.