Arthroscopic treatment of a fresh lunate bone fracture detaching the scapholunate ligament.

Fractures of the lunate bone are rare and usually treated by prolonged immobilization. We report a fracture of the dorsal pole of the lunate bone detaching the scapholunate ligament. The clinical presentation was equivalent to an acute disruption of this ligament. Percutaneous screw repair of the bone fragment was performed under wrist arthroscopy. The patient kept an analgesic splint for five days and early mobilization was provided. After 6 weeks, the patient had returned to his previous level of activity with normal wrist motion and full strength. Screw fixation under arthroscopy is minimally invasive and provides accurate restoration of the lunar anatomy, yielding good functional results after a short recovery period. This treatment offers a satisfactory alternative to prolonged immobilization and ensures good reduction and compression of the fracture. We present a detailed description of the surgical technique and its results. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.