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CC BY 4.0 · Avicenna J Med 2025; 15(01): 024-028
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1802671
Original Article

Functional Assessment of Congenital Radioulnar Synostosis in Children

Isam Sami Moghamis 
1   Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
,
Hasan Abuhejleh
1   Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
,
Yousef Abuodeh
2   Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Farah Medical Campus, Amman, Jordan
,
Hazem Mohamad Nasef
1   Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
,
Harris Manova Thanaraj
3   Department of Occupational Therapy, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
,
Ilse Du Preez
3   Department of Occupational Therapy, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
,
Mohamad Alaa Kawas
1   Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
› Author Affiliations Funding The authors received no funding from any individual or institution, and this work is completely voluntary.
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Abstract

Background Congenital radioulnar synostosis (CRUS) is a rare condition caused by segmentation failure in embryonic life. The forearm is usually fixed in pronation, affecting the upper limb and hand functions. Treatment ranges from observation to surgical options to restore limb function and prevent disease recurrence. The study aimed to assess the functional outcome of patients with CRUS.

Methods We conducted a prospective evaluation of eight patients with CRUS between 2010 and 2020. The data involved history, physical examination, and functional assessment using the ABILHAND-Kids functional scale to determine children's adaptation to this deformity and the indication for surgical management. A control sample of four patients was included in the study for comparison.

Results Eight patients with 11 limb deformities were included in the study. The affected limbs' range of motion (ROM) was compared with the ROM of the unaffected limbs and the control patients. There were no statistically significant differences in ROM between the two groups except for fixed pronation deformity of the synostosis (p = 0.0133). The average ABILHAND-Kids score for all children was 38.625 ± 3.021, close to the average score of 42. Only one patient with bilateral involvement underwent surgical correction of the deformity 5 years from the initial presentation.

Conclusion CRUS is a rare congenital condition that can affect daily living activities. Surgical correction is rarely indicated and is only preserved for patients with bilateral involvement and significant functional impairment.

Keywords

congenital - radioulnar synostosis - management - functional outcome - forearm deformity

Declaration of Ethical Approval for Study

The study was approved by our local institution's medical research center with ID number 11072/11.


Declaration of Informed Consent

A written informed consent was obtained from the patient's father to publish this case report and accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the editor of this journal upon request.


Authors' Contribution

I.S.M. and H.A.H. contributed to literature review and manuscript writing, reviewing, and editing. Y.A. contributed to data analysis, review, and editing. H.M.N. contributed to manuscript writing, reviewing, and editing. H.M.T. and contributed to data collection and obtaining of the informed consent. M.A.K. contributed to literature review, concept and design, manuscript writing and editing, and supervision.




Publication History

Article published online:
21 February 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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