Arthroplasty of the rheumatoid wrist with silicone rubber: an early evaluation.

A review of the results of 37 arthroplasties of the wrist with flexible silicone, done at least 6 months before, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed six (16%) to have residual discomfort and two (5%) to have recurrent deformity. Pain was the primary indication for treatment in 31 and deformity in six. Three of 37 wrists had prosthetic fractures (8%). Ten patients who had the opposite wrist fused before the arthroplasty felt the movable wrist was more functional. Contraindications are marked deformity, significant instability, excessive bone loss, and multiple tendon ruptures.