[Is panarthrodesis the gold standard in wrist joint surgery?].

In order to determine the value of panarthrodesis, 109 cases have been reviewed. Relevant complications occurred in 36%, whereof 20 were serious entailing reoperations. The procedure was most rewarding in patients with inflammatory arthritis which were mostly painfree and regained full strength, whereas in cases following trauma and avascular necrosis of the lunate, only 56% were painfree, and only 6% achieved contralateral strength. In comparison with 52 cases which had undergone procedures preserving wrist motion, the results were not different with regard to pain relief and strength, whereas in the patients treated accordingly, a functional amount of wrist motion could be preserved.