THE CARPAL BOSS - A 20-YEAR REVIEW OF OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT

Between 1969 and 1989, 116 patients mere evaluated and treated surgica lly for symptomatic carpal boss. Their mean age was 32 years and male and female patients were equally affected. 28 patients gave a history of previous injury. Surgical treatment consisted of excision of the lo calized bony abnormality and the associated degenerative arthritic pro cess to the level of normal articular surfaces and normal adjacent can cellous bone. The mean follow-up period for the patients in this study was 42 months. Complete symptomatic relief was observed in 94% of the patients undergoing surgical treatment. Recurrence or persistence of symptoms developed in seven surgical patients. Six had a second operat ion with more extensive removal of sclerotic bone and degenerate carti lage, and all patients had relief of symptoms.