What is ulnar impingement?
Ulnar impingement syndrome is a wrist condition caused by a shortened distal ulna impinging on the distal radius proximal to the sigmoid notch.
What causes ulnar impingement syndrome?
What causes ulnar impaction syndrome? Most often, it is congenital which means you were born with it. However, it becomes symptomatic when wear and tear of the ligaments and cartilage appear over time, in young adults. Sometimes ulnar impaction syndrome can be secondary to shortening of the radius after a fracture.
Is ulnar impaction syndrome serious?
This causes inflammation on the ulnar, or little-finger side, of the hand, and consequently, pain and swelling in the wrist. UIS is a degenerative wrist condition. Oftentimes, degenerative problems are irreversible as well as progressive. Fortunately, ulnar impaction syndrome is curable and treatable.
How is ulnar impaction treated?
Conservative treatment should be attempted before surgery and can include immobilization for 6-12 weeks, NSAIDs, corticosteroid injection and limiting aggravating movements such as pronation, gripping and ulnar deviation. Lack of improvement with conservative management is an indication for surgery.
How do you fix positive ulnar variance?
Ulnar shortening osteotomy (USO) is the standard procedure for correcting positive ulnar variance. Goal of this procedure is to minimize the symptoms by restoring the neutral radio – ulnar variance.
Does positive ulnar variance require surgery?
The debridement of the ulna is performed to the degree at which the patient is ulnar neutral or slightly ulnar negative. The benefit of this procedure is that open surgery is not required, and recovery is faster. However, if the ulnar variance is greater than +4mm, this option is not suitable.
What causes positive ulnar variance?
This positive variance can be congenital1 or acquired2 radial shortening secondary to trauma—for example, a malunion of the radius after a distal radius fracture, an Essex-Lopresti injury, proximal migration of the radius after radial head excision, or premature physeal closure of the radius.