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Indications

Pain

• Experienced during pronation and supination (rotating) of the hand in or near the wrist.
• In or near the wrist when lifting objects.
• Resulting from pressure on the radius and ulna created by contact in areas with no cartilage during inactivity such as sleep.

Loss of motion (pronation/supination)

Inability to lift

Previous injury

• Distal Radius Fracture
• Distal Ulnar Fracture
• Distal Radius Fracture AND Distal Ulnar Fracture
• Severe dislocations with cartilage damage
• Injuries to the Distal Radioulnar Joint or its supporting structures leading to irreversible damage to the joint lining (loss of cartilage)
• Wrist fractures (distal radius / distal ulna)
• Ligament tears allowing a miss alignment of the joint surfaces
• Arthritis leading to a loss of cartilage
• Any other injury or surgery resulting in bone to bone pinching or contact

Tumors at the end of the Ulna

Congenital Abnormalities of the Distal Radioulnar Joint (i.e. Ehrlers-Danlos Syndrome and Madelung's Deformity)

How Aptis Can Help

Before APTIS, injury to the Distal Radioulnar Joint left patients with impaired abilities. Not only did patients suffer a loss of mobility, they also had to contend with serious pain while trying to perform simple tasks like turning a door knob or lifting a gallon of milk, or even while sleeping.

This pain results from a loss of the unique function of the Distal Radioulnar Joint. Without an intact DRUJ to act as a pivot point, the radius and ulna would pinch together when any force was applied to the wrist. The most common solution up to now has been to cut off part of the distal ulna. And while this sometimes alleviated pain, patients still had very little functionality left in the affected forearm. Since the radius and ulna no longer work in their designed conjunction, the forearm has very little ability to perform any turning or twisting motion. And lifting anything of significance is practically out of the question.

APTIS has changed treatment of the joint as the DRUJ prosthesis recreates the complex and unique function of the joint, allowing the radius and ulna to pivot as they are intended. By performing this function, the APTIS prosthesis alleviates the pain previously associated with DRUJ damage or removal, while still allowing the patient to use the forearm for lifting and turning. Something that is not possible with joint removal.

In place, the APTIS prosthesis substitutes the organic DRUJ by way of a mechanical device that uses two pieces of Cobalt Chromium that enclose a polymer ball (UHMWP - Ultra High Molecular Weight Polymer). The polymer ball becomes the pivot point, allowing the prosthesis to perform a full range of movement while providing shock absorption.