Successful Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Radiocarpal Translocation

Theodore M Brown; Michael Sun; Michael Hausman; David Kulber

doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.01.001

Successful Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Radiocarpal Translocation

J Hand Surg Glob Online. 2024 Feb 1;6(3):404-408. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.01.001. eCollection 2024 May.

Authors

Theodore M Brown¹, Michael Sun¹, Michael Hausman², David Kulber^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
² Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, NY.
³ Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
⁴ Division of Plastic Surgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Abstract

Radiocarpal fracture translocations are uncommon injuries without well-defined treatment. This case report presents a patient with this injury that was treated with repair of the volar and dorsal structures and dynamic external fixation. Eight weeks after the procedure, the external fixation device was unlocked to allow wrist flexion and extension only. Twelve weeks after the procedure, the external fixation device was removed completely to allow full wrist range of motion. Six months after surgery, the patient had no reported pain or dysfunction, and no recurrence of radiocarpal translation. Treatment with repair of both volar and dorsal structures and dynamic external fixation was effective for this historically challenging injury to manage.

Keywords: Ligament; Orthopedics; Surgery; Technique; Translocation.

Publication types

Case Reports