CORA ABSTRACT #III - 1

A SURVEY OF THE SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC SCAPHOLUNATE INSTABILITY

P. Zarkadas

P.T. Gropper

B.H. Perey

Controversy persists with respect to the optimal management of scapholunate instability. A survey was conducted of all members of the American and Canadian Societies for Surgery of the Hand to report the preferred treatment in the clinical case of acute and chronic scapholunate instability. Results of 468 respondents (29% response) for both the acute and chronic case favored early surgical intervention within six weeks of injury (Ñ 71%) using an open dorsal approach (Ñ 80%). The preferred surgical procedure in the acute case consisted of a scapholunate ligament repair alone (33%), or combined with a capsulodesis (44%). Favored management of the chronic case included a Blatt capsulodesis alone (15%) or combined with a scapholunate ligament repair (12%), or a STT arthrodesis (12%). This survey confirms a consensus for the soft tissue surgical management of acute scapholunate instability while the reported treatment for chronic scapholunate instability remains highly variable.