Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Distal Radius Fracture: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition characterized by a constellation of signs and symptoms including pain out of proportion to the injury or insult, autonomic dysfunction, trophic changes, and impaired function. CRPS may occur following either conservative or surgical management of distal radius fractures and can significantly complicate the trajectory of a patient's recovery. Although the incidence, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this condition have been extensively studied, optimal methods to identify, prevent, and treat this condition remain controversial. This article reviews the available literature on the diagnosis and treatment of CRPS in distal radius fractures.

Epidemiology and Impact of Hand and Wrist Injuries in Major and Minor League Baseball.

Background: Professional baseball players are at risk of acute and chronic injuries to their upper extremities. Methods: Major League Baseball's Health and Injury Tracking System, a prospective injury surveillance system, was used to identify and characterize all hand and wrist injuries sustained by all Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players during the pre-, regular, and postseason throughout 2011-2016. Injuries were included if they resulted in at least 1 day out of play and were sustained during standard baseball activities. Days missed were defined as the time between injury and the first time in which a player was cleared to return to play. Results: During the study period, there were 4478 hand and 1748 wrist injuries throughout MLB and MiLB, which resulted in a total of 105 246 days out of play. This was equivalent to the length of 575 individual MLB player seasons, and the mean days missed per injury was 17 days. Most injuries were traumatic in nature, with 43% (n = 2672) of players injured after being hit by a baseball that mainly occurred during batting (n = 2521; 40%). Injuries that most frequently required surgical intervention were hook of hamate fractures (72%) and scaphoid fractures (60%). Conclusions: Understanding the epidemiology and impact of hand and wrist injuries in MLB and MiLB players may lead to improved management of these injuries and reduce time away from play. Most importantly, preventive measures and/or enhanced protective gear may be developed to minimize these types of injuries in MLB and MiLB.

Upper-Extremity Reconstruction in Tetraplegia: A Critical Analysis Review.

Management of tetraplegia should be individualized to a patient's particular deficiencies and functional goals. Surgical decision-making for upper-extremity reconstruction in patients with tetraplegia relies on a thorough physical examination to determine which nerves and muscles remain under volitional control with adequate strength for transfer. Peripheral nerve transfers, either in conjunction with or in place of traditional tendon transfers, enable providers to offer an expanded set of surgical options for patients with tetraplegia who are seeking upper-extremity reconstruction. All upper-extremity reconstructive efforts should be carefully considered with regard to their potential effects on the availability of future reconstructive efforts.

Team Approach: Multidisciplinary Perioperative Care in Upper-Extremity Reconstruction for Adults with Spasticity and Contractures.

* Spasticity is the heightened motor tone that occurs as a result of damage to upper motor neurons in the central nervous system from brain or spinal cord injuries. * Nonoperative interventions for upper-extremity spasticity include chemodenervation or orthotic use, but their efficacy may be limited in correcting severe deformities. In such cases, surgical reconstruction may be necessary. * A single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) is a method of addressing deformities involving the entire extremity under 1 anesthetic episode. * It is the responsibility of the surgeon to assemble and communicate with the appropriate health-care team members during the patient's hospitalization to prevent perioperative complications and to optimize outcomes after surgery. Team entities integral to successful SEMLS for patients with spasticity include respiratory therapy, nutrition, neuropalliative care, internal medicine, occupational therapy, and anesthesiology. * The goal of upper-extremity reconstruction in patients with spasticity is to improve the patient's quality of life, reduce pain, improve hygiene, restore functionality, and correct disfiguring joint contractures.

Wide-Awake Surgical Management of Hand Fractures: Technical Pearls and Advanced Rehabilitation.

Most unstable metacarpal and phalangeal fractures for which operative treatment is indicated can be reduced and stabilized with either open or closed techniques using local anesthetic with epinephrine instead of intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. With the patient wide-awake during surgery, the hand can be taken through active range of motion to assess fracture stability. In this article, the authors review the rationale and technique for wide-awake, local anesthesia, no tourniquet surgery in the treatment of phalangeal and metacarpal fractures and impart pearls to optimize the patient experience and illustrate common fixation techniques using percutaneous Kirschner wires. The intraoperative assessment of fracture stability permits an accelerated, protected-range-of-motion protocol that minimizes postoperative stiffness and facilitates expedient recovery.

The Current and Possible Future Role of Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet Hand Surgery in Military Health Care Delivery.

Wide-awake hand surgery is versatile and can be performed in a variety of settings for various pathologies. The benefits associated with wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet hand surgery can be extremely beneficial in the military health care system. Military medicine focuses on supporting soldiers in areas of combat, providing humanitarian care to local nationals, and to delivering health care to active duty soldiers and veterans in the domestic setting. The ability to perform hand surgery without general or sedating anesthesia conserves limited anesthetic resources and allows patients to maintain situational awareness perioperatively.

Surgical Management of Upper Extremity Deformities in Patients With Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome.

Injury to the central nervous system can create upper extremity deformities and dysfunction, typically caused by a cerebrovascular accident, traumatic brain injury, anoxic brain injury, or spinal cord injury. Regardless of the etiology, disruption of inhibitory upper motor neuron (UMN) pathways can lead to a constellation of symptoms such as muscle weakness, decreased motor control, hyperexcitable tendon reflexes, muscle spasticity, and agonist-antagonist cocontraction that characterizes a condition known as UMN syndrome. The magnitude of neurorecovery varies among patients who have sustained brain injuries and can be classified as having a functional or nonfunctional upper extremity based on the presence or absence of volitional motor control at a specific joint, respectively. Many surgical procedures can be employed to optimize function, decrease pain, improve hygiene, and enhance cosmesis in patients with UMN syndrome.

Complex Distal Radius Fractures: An Anatomic Algorithm for Surgical Management.

Most distal radius fractures result from low-energy mechanisms and can be successfully treated nonsurgically or with a variety of surgical techniques if indicated. High-energy distal radius fractures can involve extensive comminution or bone loss with concomitant ligament, soft-tissue, and neurovascular injuries. In patients with complex distal radius fractures, reconstruction of the distal radius, ulna, and triangular fibrocartilage complex can be challenging. Effective restoration of the bony architecture requires intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the distal radius, a thorough understanding of the goals of treatment, versatility in surgical approaches, and familiarity with multiple fixation options.

Management of Complex Distal Radius Fractures: Review of Treatment Principles and Select Surgical Techniques.

Most distal radius fractures are the result of low-energy mechanisms that can be successfully treated either non-operatively or with a variety of operative techniques if indicated. Complex distal radius fractures occur most commonly in high-energy injuries with extensive comminution or bone loss and associated soft tissue or vascular injuries. These high-energy fractures can present many challenges in reconstructing the distal radius. Effective restoration of the bony architecture requires a thorough knowledge of distal radius anatomy, understanding of the goals of treatment, versatility in surgical approaches, and familiarity with multiple fixation options.