A Non-surgical Intervention for Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Tears

Background and PurposeThe current literature contains no reports of treatment options other than surgery following failed conservative management of a triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tear. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of a novel brace as a non-surgical intervention for TFCC tears. MethodsThis paper is a case study of a subject with a magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed TFCC tear. As an alternative to surgery, he consented to wear a novel brace for 12weeks after conservative management of his injury had failed. His recovery from injury was monitored with a weight-bearing tolerance test and the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) outcome measure. ResultsAn increase in weight-bearing tolerance and upper extremity use was evident immediately after donning the brace. After 12weeks, the subject demonstrated a return to normal weight-bearing tolerance and normal DASH outcome measure scores. These improvements were still evident at a 1-year follow-up appointment. DiscussionUtilizing this novel brace resulted in functional status improvement in a subject with a TFCC tear as demonstrated by significant changes in his DASH outcome measure scores. This case study demonstrates the first non-surgical alternative treatment for a TFCC tear after conservative management has failed. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.