Site icon OrthoBuzz

What’s New in Hand and Wrist Surgery 2026

OrthoBuzz

New findings in hand and wrist surgery are presented in the latest JBJS Specialty Update, What’s New in Hand and Wrist Surgery. Here, we highlight the 5 most impactful studies, as selected by coauthor Eric R. Wagner, MD.

Scaphoid Nonunions

A retrospective comparative study found that scaphoid healing rates were influenced by the timing of Kirschner wire placement in patients with scaphoid nonunion treated with arthroscopic cancellous bone grafting. Introducing the Kirschner wires after debridement and graft placement was associated with faster union and higher union rates compared with introducing them beforehand1.

Compressive Neuropathy

A prospective case series showed that the majority of patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) benefited from open carpal tunnel release, suggesting a link between carpal tunnel syndrome and CRPS. Of 82 patients, 79% reported complete resolution of symptoms following the procedure, whereas 6% reported no relief2. These findings “could have major ramifications for a traditionally extremely difficult pathology to treat,” write Specialty Update authors Drs. Wagner and Suh.

The 6 most important criteria for diagnosing cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS), as identified in a prior work using the Delphi method3, were evaluated in a recent study4. The study predicted the likelihood of CuTS on the basis of these criteria. The presence of ≥3 of the 6 criteria was associated with a high level of confidence in the CuTS diagnosis4.

Distal Radial Fracture

A Level I randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in JBJS compared 4- and 6-week periods of cast immobilization in a cohort of 135 patients ≥65 years of age who were treated nonoperatively for displaced distal radial fractures. The 4-week period was found to be safe, with pain outcomes, functional outcomes, and complication rates that were equivalent to those of the standard 6-week period5.

Dupuytren Disease

Percutaneous needle fasciotomy, collagenase Clostridium histolyticum, and limited fasciectomy were compared in an RCT of 302 patients treated for Dupuytren contracture. The 3 treatment groups had similar rates of success (defined as >50% contracture release) at 3 months. However, only the surgery group maintained a high success rate (78%) at 2 years, with the collagenase and needle fasciotomy groups demonstrating lower rates (65% and 50%, respectively) despite retreatments6.

What’s New in Hand and Wrist Surgery is freely available at JBJS.org.

What’s New by Subspecialty

Each month, JBJS publishes a review of the most pertinent studies from the orthopaedic literature in a select subspecialty. To read the reports, visit the What’s New by Subspecialty collection at JBJS.org.

Recent OrthoBuzz posts include: What’s New in Machine Learning and Generative AI, What’s New in Pediatric Orthopaedics, and What’s New in Adult Reconstructive Knee Surgery.

References

  1. Quemener-Tanguy A, Vigié R, Koelhy A, Ballet S, De Villeneuve Bargemon JB, Levadoux M. Arthroscopic treatment of scaphoid nonunion with debridement and cancellous bone grafting before or after K-wire fixation. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2025 Jul;50(7):914-21.
  2. Del Piñal F. Outcomes of median nerve release in complex regional pain syndrome type 1 of the hand: a prospective case series. J Hand Surg Am. 2025 Feb;50(2):130-7.
  3. Collins DW, Rehak D, Dawes A, Collins DP, Daly C, Wagner ER, Gottschalk MB. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Does a Consensus Exist for Diagnosis? J Hand Surg Am. 2025 Feb;50(2):230.e1-230.e7
  4. Cuneo KR, Collins DW, Sullivan CM, Suh N, Wagner ER, Gottschalk MB. Identifying diagnostic criteria for cubital tunnel syndrome. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2025 Oct 1;156(4):583-9.
  5. Sala-Pujals A, Portes Chiva A, Chillon Soria J, Valverde Vilamala D, Dominguez Font E, Pardo Pol A. Immobilization time for conservative treatment of distal radial fractures in elderly patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2025 Jun 5;107(14):1628-35.
  6. Räisänen MP, Leppänen OV, Soikkeli J, Reito A, Malmivaara A, Buchbinder R, Kautiainen H, Kaivorinne A, Stjernberg-Salmela S, Lappalainen M, Luokkala T, Pönkkö A, Taskinen HS, Pääkkönen M, Jaatinen K, Juurakko J, Karjalainen VL, Karjalainen T. Surgery, needle fasciotomy, or collagenase injection for Dupuytren contracture: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2024 Mar;177(3):280-90.
Exit mobile version