A NEW TECHNIQUE OF REATTACHMENT AFTER TRAUMATIC AVULS ION OF THE TFCC AT ITS ULNAR INSERT ION

One female and seven male patients (median age 25.5) presented with traumatic avulsion of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), type 1B according to Palmer's classification. Reattachment of he TFCC near its anchoring point was combined with an intraarticular shortening osteotomy of the ulnar head. This provides an excellent approach to the TFCC and a well vascularized anchoring surface. The mooring point is biomechanically appropriate and the tissues with the best biomechanical properties ar used. The functional results with a mean follow-up of 3 years were encouraging, as demonstrated by the significant improvement of pain (P = 0.017). All patients were able to return to their previous occupation; no further surgery was necessary to the distal radio-ulnar joint and no impairment of pronation and supination was detected. The final wrist score reflects the subjective results defined by the patient. However the correlation is not linear and the wrist scores are superior to the degree of satisfaction defined by the patient. Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume, 1995) 20B: 2. " 178-184 Kinematics between the radius and ulna in pronation and supination are largely controlled by the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC; Acosta et al, 1993