Comparison of efficacy between short-arm and long-arm braces in the treatment of triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries with stable distal radioulnar joint

Objective To compare and analyze the efficacy differences between short-arm cast brace fixation and long-arm brace fixation in the treatment of triangular fibrocartilage complex（TFCC）injuries with stable distal radioulnar joint. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 51 patients with TFCC injuries and stable distal radioulnar joint who received conservative treatment with brace fixation in the Wuxi Ninth People’s Hospital from January to December 2023. Among them，21 cases were treated with short-arm wrist cast brace fixation in neutral position（short-arm group），and 30 cases were treated with long-arm brace fixation in supinated position over elbow and wrist（long-arm group）. The treatment protocol was 6 weeks of short-arm brace fixation in the short-arm group，and 3 weeks of long-arm brace fixation followed by 3 weeks of short-arm brace fixation in the long-arm group. All patients received systematic rehabilitation treatment after brace removal. The evaluation indicators included Visual Analogue Scale（VAS）score for pain，joint range of motion，grip strength，modified Mayo Wrist Score（MMWS），and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation（PRWE）score. Results The average follow-up period was 14.2 months. At the final follow-up，the pain score，grip strength，rotational range of motion，and MMWS and PRWE scores of both groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment（P