Instability of the distal radio-ulnar joint: stabilization by a Gore-Tex ligament.

Diagnosis and treatment of problems caused by instability of the distal radio-ulnar joint are complex. In this retrospective study, the results of a uniform procedure by using a Gore-Tex ligament for stabilization of the distal radio-ulnar joint are presented. In eight patients, nine wrists were operated on. The mean age of the patients was 35 years. The dominant side was involved in six patients. The mean follow-up was 3.4 years. Three of nine wrist problems were of spontaneous onset. In these wrists, the final results were excellent. The other six wrists were operated on for problems after trauma: four patients after soft-tissue injury, one patient after distal radius fracture, and one patient after forearm fracture. Among these cases, one result was excellent, four were good, and another one was fair.