Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to assess early outcomes after outside-to-inside arthroscopic repair of type I-B Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) tears.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients with Palmer type 1B TFCC tears who treated arthroscopically between November 2012 and February 2014 were included in the study. Fourteen men and nine women with an average age of 33.8 years underwent surgery. Postoperative rehabilitation was started after six weeks of immobilization. Functional outcomes were evaluated at third, sixth and first year with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH), Modified Mayo Wrist score (MMWS), visual analog scale (VAS), grip strength, and range of motion (ROM).
Results: The time between the onset of symptoms and surgical intervention was 22.0 ± 23.8 months. Mean follow-up time was 8.6 ± 6.7 months. The average DASH score decreased from 45.4 ± 14 to 13.5 ± 8.7, and the average VAS score, from 7.2 ± 1.7 to 2 ± 1.2, postoperatively (p<0.001). Average grip strength for the operated wrist improved significantly (p < 0.001) from 16.9 ± 6.4 to 29.8 ± 9,4 kg. The average ROM of the wrist joint did not change clinically. According to MMWS, 14 patients had excellent and good, six patients had fair, and three patients had poor results. Fourteen patients were able to return to work between four and six months, while others were able to return to their jobs within 6-12 months. None of the patients left or changed the profession.
Conclusions: Early results indicate that arthroscopic repair of peripheral TFCC tears is a successful technique characterized by improvement in grip strength, patient comfort, and quality of life; reduction of pain; and early return to work.

Key words: Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), Palmer Type 1b tear, wrist pain, arthroscopic repair.