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. 2023 May 1;33(3):270-275.
doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001114. Epub 2022 Dec 27.

Return to Activity After Arthroscopically Assisted Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Repair: A Systematic Review

Zachary S Silber  1 , Joseph C Donnelly  1 , Michael J Farias  1 , Christopher J Lama  1 , Lauren I Luther  1 , Lindsay R Kosinski  1 , Austin E Hoy  2 , Joseph A Gil  1
Affiliations

Return to Activity After Arthroscopically Assisted Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Repair: A Systematic Review

Zachary S Silber et al. Clin J Sport Med. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate patients' ability to return to preinjury activity level after arthroscopically assisted triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair.

Data sources: The PubMed electronic library was systematically searched from inception to August 2021 for any eligible articles using a combination of the phrases "TFCC," "return to sport," "return to work," and "athlete."

Results: Studies that evaluated patients who had undergone arthroscopic repair of isolated TFCC injury and reported objective or patient-reported outcome measures were included. Fifteen studies representing 478 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. An average of 84% of patients were able to fully return to their previous work or sport activities. Most studies reported that range of motion (ROM) and grip strength (GS) both returned to >90% of the contralateral side, and every study that evaluated pain levels found a significant reduction in pain postoperatively. Mayo Modified Wrist Score was reported as excellent or good in 83% of patients, and the average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 13.8 postoperatively.

Conclusion: Patients were able to return to their previous work or sport activities at a high rate after TFCC repair, even those participating in more strenuous activities. Measurable functional outcomes of ROM and GS were also reliably restored to near preinjury levels. Patient-reported outcomes of pain and disability were similarly improved after TFCC repair. Current literature has established the long-term success of TFCC repair but is lacking in evaluation of the time points at which patients can expect functional status to be restored.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

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