Wrist Arthrodesis and Osteoarticular Reconstruction in Giant Cell Tumor of the Distal Radius

Purpose: The aim of this multi-institutional retrospective study was to compare osteoarticular graft reconstruction (OA) and wrist arthrodesis (WA) after distal radius resection for giant cell tumor. Material and methods: Sixty-seven patients affected by giant cell tumor of the distal radius underwent resection and reconstruction with OA (47 patients) or WA (20 patients). The mean age was 40 years (range, 13–74 years). Grafts included fresh-frozen allograft or nonvascularized fibular autograft. Complications requiring surgical revision were recorded. Clinical outcome was assessed with the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Score (MSTS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score. Results: Fifteen patients developed a local recurrence after a median of 12 months (range, 6–137 months). Sixteen patients required revision surgery for complications. Of these, 10 were graft-related complications (7 in the OA group and 3 in the WA group). Among OA, 2 patients with painful instabilities and 4 with severe arthritis required conversion into WA after a mean of 26 months (range, 13–38 months) At a median follow-up of 105 months (range, 12–395 months), similar functional outcome (MSTS and DASH score) was observed between OA and WA. Conclusions: Our results did not show any advantage of OA or WA over the other technique. A patient-by-patient decision should be taken both regarding the type of reconstruction (OA or WA) and the type of graft (allograft or autograft). The reconstructive choice should also consider the patient's functional expectations. Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic IV