[Therapeutic possibilities of arthroscopy in chronic painful wrists. Apropos of 27 cases with 55 arthroscopies].
55 arthroscopies of radio- and midcarpal joints of the wrist were performed for chronic wrist pain with a difficult diagnosis and/or treatment. None of the patients suffered a deterioration and no complications were observed. The results were analysed according to Jackson's and Abe's criteria. In the overall series, arthroscopy was considered to be beneficial for the diagnosis in 80% of cases and for treatment in 49% of cases. Wrist arthroscopy was beneficial in 100% of cases for exact evaluation of the lesions of osteoarthritic wrists or wrists with intracarpal disorganisation and guided the subsequent therapeutic indications. Only 41% of cases obtained a therapeutic benefit from arthroscopy, which nevertheless constituted a useful alternative to surgical operations with a long postoperative course, allowing rapid return to work. Arthroscopy was beneficial for the diagnosis in 66% of chronic painful wrists in which the standard radiological and dynamic assessment was normal, by identifying the anatomical lesions. Arthroscopy was not beneficial in 34% of cases, corresponding to patients with no precise clinical symptoms. Arthroscopy was beneficial for treatment in 54% of cases, with complete cure in the majority of cases.