The early history of arthroplasty of the wrist. From amputation to total wrist implant.

During the past 3 decades implant arthroplasty of the destroyed wrist has become a reliable and satisfying procedure. However, the first total wrist replacement was performed in Berlin as early as 1890. This paper describes the history of resection and interposition arthroplasty of the wrist leading to the first total wrist implant arthroplasty performed by Themistocles Gluck. An overview of recent designs is given, and the relevant historical cases are reported.