Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34521226›Full record

ArticleHand (New York, N.Y.)2023

Considerations When Performing Arthrodesis in the Scleroderma Hand.

Chao Long, Jung Ho Gong, Scott D Lifchez

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hand (New York, N.Y.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 42% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Outcomes of Joint Arthrodesis in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis.Journal of hand surgery global online · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Chao LongJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jung Ho GongThe Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0382-8279
Scott D LifchezJohns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Johns Hopkins University · USBrown University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHand deformities secondary to scleroderma can limit activities of daily living and be associated with substantial disability. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes following arthrodesis performed to treat digital contractures secondary to scleroderma.

methodsWe performed a retrospective review of all patients with scleroderma who underwent arthrodesis by a single surgeon from 2015 to 2020. We collected demographic information, operative variables, and outcomes variables. Our primary outcome was occurrence of any postoperative complication, which we defined to include wound dehiscence, digital ischemia, malunion, nonunion, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis. We calculated descriptive statistics and performed all analyses at the joint level.

resultsWe identified 9 patients who underwent arthrodesis of 19 joints. All patients were women with a mean age of 55.3 years. At the time of surgery, most patients were taking disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Kirschner wires (K-wires) were used in most cases (n = 18), 15 of which were removed uneventfully at an average of 4.8 months after surgery. With a mean follow-up time of 15.4 months, the overall complication rate was 5.3% (n = 1). This patient developed digital ischemia in 1 of 4 operative digits, which became gangrenous and required amputation.

conclusionsOur study suggests that arthrodesis can be performed safely in the scleroderma hand, even when patients are taking DMARDs. Given the uneventful K-wire removal in all joints and the high risk of exposure of buried hardware in this population, we recommend nonpermanent placement of K-wires. Hand surgeons may consider arthrodesis in the scleroderma hand before proceeding to revision amputation.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingHandArthrodesisBone WiresFemaleHumansIschemiaMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative Complicationsanatomyarthrodesisdiffuse cutaneous sclerodermahandjoint contracturelimited cutaneous sclerodermascleroderma

Identifiers

PMID34521226
PMCPMC10152541
OpenAlexW3200655457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.