Implant arthroplasty for the distal radioulnar joint

Abstract

The distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) is a weight-bearing joint; the ulnar head is frequently excised either totally or partially and in some cases is fused because of degenerative, rheumatoid, or posttraumatic arthritis and treated with a "salvage procedure." The result of these procedures is the inability of those patients to lift even minor weight. Articles about these procedures report the ability to pronate and supinate, but they rarely discuss grip strength or lifting capacity. We present an alternative to the salvage procedures that allows full range of motions as well as the ability to grip and lift weights encountered in daily living, such as a gallon of milk. The Aptis total DRUJ replacement prosthesis (Aptis Medical, Louisville, KY), a bipolar self-stabilizing DRUJ endoprosthesis, restores the forearm function. The technique of implantation is presented here.