Perilunar carpal dislocations treatment outcome.

Background. The aim of the study was to analyze late outcomes of perilunar carpal dislocations, depending on the type of the injury, time of the diagnosis and the treatment methods. Material and methods. The material is constituted by 37 patients treated in our department between 1981-2004 because of perilunar dislocation. In group were 2 women and 35 men, aged 19-56 (mean 31 years). All patients were asked for control visit. DASH and Mayo score were used to evaluate the outcome. Range of wrist motion, its stability, grip strength and X-ray pictures were analyzed. Results. Better follow-up results were observed in persons with early diagnosed dislocations of the wrist. The best outcomes were observed in group with perilunar early diagnosed dislocations, which were treated by open reduction. Posttraumatic wrist instability often was diagnosed in patients with dislocation of lunar bone and late-diagnosed transscaphoid perilunar carpal dislocations. Conclusions. The data we obtained show, that the consequences of late-diagnosed and late-treated injuries of the wrist are instability, pain, decrease in range of motion and hand skills.