Does total wrist denervation give reliable long-term results? Survival curve with an average follow-up of 8.2 years.

INTRODUCTION: Pain is the main reason why patients consult for degenerative and posttraumatic wrist conditions. While the many surgical techniques make choosing the appropriate procedure difficult, total wrist denervation, which has an "analgesic" aim, remains an accessible therapeutic solution to treat this symptomatology. Nevertheless, long-term results remain controversial, and few studies have focused on the survival of this procedure. HYPOTHESIS: Total wrist denervation provides lasting pain relief. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a single center, single operator (DLN), retrospective observational study. We analyzed 63 wrists. The mean age at the time of the procedure was 53.7 years. We verified the primary endpoint for survival, which included no further analgesic procedures and no significant residual pain (NRS≤3). Patient satisfaction and the quality of the wrist function were also assessed. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 8.2 years. Some of the patients (12.7%) did not respond to treatment. We reported 1 neuroma of the superficial sensory branch of the radial nerve, 2 CRPS and 11 revision surgeries. We observed that the treatment became less effective over time. The median survival was 8.8 years. The survival rate of the procedure fell to 13.5% at the last follow-up. The mean residual pain was 3.4 on a numerical rating scale and the mean DASH score was 23.5. The mean satisfaction level, on a scale from 0 to 10, was 7.3 and most patients (79.6%) would undergo this procedure again. DISCUSSION: Survival of the total wrist denervation at the last follow-up was low in our study. Even though the treatment became less effective over time, the quality of the wrist function remained satisfactory and similar to the different studies previously published on the subject. There were very few complications and revisions. CONCLUSION: Total wrist denervation therefore remains an interesting surgical solution for patients with chronic wrist pain as it preserves mobility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV; Single center, single operator retrospective observational study.