Abstract
Background Ganglion cysts of the wrist can cause pain and loss of functionality. No consensus
exist on optimal treatment. Arthroscopic resection shows promising results but is
poorly studied. Furthermore, only few studies have used patient-related outcomes to
evaluate arthroscopic treatment.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess patient-related outcomes following arthroscopic
resection of wrist ganglion cysts.
Patients and Methods This was a retrospective study of all consecutive patients that underwent arthroscopic
resection of a dorsal or volar wrist ganglion. Minimum follow-up was 6 months. The
primary outcome was the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). Secondary outcomes
were recurrence rate and complications.
Results A total of 53 patients were included with a mean follow-up of 13 months (interquartile
range: 6–23 months). Twenty-six patients (49%) presented with a recurrence following
prior treatment. Mean PRWE was 13 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.8), with no difference
between patients with dorsal or volar ganglion cysts. There were five recurrences
(9%), of which three occurred in the first five patients who were operated. There
were three patients with complications (6%), consisting of neuropraxia, extensor carpi
ulnaris tendinitis, and painful scar tissue.
Conclusion Arthroscopic resection results in good patient-related outcome and low complication
and recurrence rates when performed by an experienced surgeon. Recurrence and complication
rates are similar to arthroscopic resections described in literature and superior
to open resection and needle aspiration. Well-designed randomized clinical trials
will be necessary to confirm these findings.
Level of Evidence This is a level IV, retrospective study.
Keywords
wrist - arthroscopy - ganglion cyst - patient outcome - complications - PRWE
