Contemporary View on the Care of the Rheumatoid Wrist.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory condition that can lead to debilitating hand and wrist deformity. Since the introduction of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the 1990s, the rate of surgery for rheumatoid arthritis has dramatically decreased. Nonetheless, surgical intervention remains an important tool in the management of patients with RA, and young surgeons must seek out expertise in this domain due to diminished exposure during their training. In this article, the authors provide a comprehensive review of the evaluation and management of patients with wrist pathology attributable to RA as well as surgical technical pearls.