Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I may occur as complication after any type of surgery for basal joint arthritis of the thumb. We investigated prospectively in an ongoing study our results after a fully standardized treatment with a total joint prosthesis under vitamin C prophylaxis.Patients with trapeziometacarpal arthritis stage II or III according to Dell, and no benefit from conservative treatment, were selected to undergo joint replacement with a semi-constrained hydroxyapatite coated prosthesis.First web opening and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain, activities of daily living (ADL) and satisfaction were taken pre and postoperatively. Vitamin C 500 mg daily was started two days prior to surgery during 50 days as prevention for CRPS. Post-operative treatment was functional.We performed 40 implantations for trapeziometacarpal arthritis in 34 patients (mean age 60.8 years; 27 females, 7 males) with a mean follow-up of 44 months. Operations were performed in day care under regional (or general) anesthesia.First web opening increased with 15.4 degrees and there was a significant improvement for pain, ADL and satisfaction as well (p = 0.000). Patient satisfaction was strongly associated with the amount of pain reduction. According to the Veldman and IASP criteria, there were no cases of CRPS.The overall complication rate for this procedure is high. Literature reports 5 cases of CRPS after 38 operations with the same implant (13%). We advise vitamin C as prophylaxis against CRPS in trapeziometacarpal joint replacement.
Operative and conservative treatment of wrist fractures might lead to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I. In our multicenter dose response study in which patients with distal radial fractures were randomly allocated to placebo or vitamin C in a daily dose of 200mg, 500mg or 1500mg during 50 days, an operated subgroup was analyzed. 48 (of 427) fractures) were operated (11.2%). Twenty-nine patients (60%) were treated with external fixation, 14 patients (29%) with K-wiring according to Kapandji and five patients (10%) with internal plate fixation. The 379 remaining patients were treated with a plaster. In the operated group of patients who received vitamin C no CRPS (0/37) was seen in comparison with one case of CRPS (Kapandji technique) in the operated group who received placebo (1/11 = 9%, p=.23). There was no CRPS after external fixation. In the conservatively treated group 17 cases of CRPS (17/379 = 4.5%) occurred in comparison with one in case of CRPS in the operated group (1/48 = 2.1%, p=.71). External fixation doesn’t necessarily lead to a higher incidence of CRPS in distal radial fractures. Vitamin C may also play a role in this. This subgroup analysis in operated distal radial fractures showed no CRPS occurrence with vitamin C prophylaxis.
BACKGROUND: The public health cost impact of complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I) is considerable in both emergency and scheduled orthopaedic surgery. We proposed to assess the effectiveness of vitamin C in prevention of CRPS I in foot and ankle surgery.
METHODS: We carried out a "before-after" quasi-experimental study comparing two chronologically successive groups without (Group I: July 2002-June 2003) and with (Group II: July 2003-June 2004) preventive 1g daily vitamin C treatment. All patients having surgery on the foot or ankle were enrolled, with the exception of diabetic foot cases. Several factors were analysed: sex, age, type of pathology, history of CRPS I, psychological context, tourniquet time, and cast immobilisation time.
RESULTS: 420 feet (392 patients) were included in the study: 185 in Group I, 235 in Group II. CRPS I occurred in 18 cases in Group I (9.6%) and 4 cases in Group II (1.7%) (p<10(-4)), with history of CRPS I as a significantly correlated factor (relative risk=10.4). The psychological context (anxio-depressive state) showed a (sub-significant) tendency to increase the risk of CRPS I (relative risk=2.6).
CONCLUSION: Vitamin C has been shown to be effective in preventing CRPS I secondary to wrist fracture, but few data are available with respect to foot and ankle cases. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing CRPS I of the foot and ankle-a frequent complication in our control group (9.6%). The authors recommend preventive management by vitamin C.
Patients with trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis stage II or III (according to Dell) and no benefit from non-operative therapy were selected to undergo joint arthroplasty. We performed 32 arthroplasties for first carpometacarpal arthritis in 27 patients using a cementless total trapeziometacarpal joint prosthesis. We undertook a prospective cohort study and evaluated the clinical results of total joint arthroplasty after an average of 39 months. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain, daily activities (ADL) and satisfaction were taken pre- and postoperatively, and the first web opening was measured. First web opening improved significantly as did pain, ADL and patient satisfaction. Surgery of arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint can be complicated by complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I. In all our patients Vitamin C 500 mg daily was started two days before surgery and continued during 50 days. There were no cases of CRPS under vitamin C prophylaxis. These results justify further investigation in a randomised clinical trial.
BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome type I is treated symptomatically. A protective effect of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been reported previously. A dose-response study was designed to evaluate its effect in patients with wrist fractures.
METHODS: In a double-blind, prospective, multicenter trial, 416 patients with 427 wrist fractures were randomly allocated to treatment with placebo or treatment with 200, 500, or 1500 mg of vitamin C daily for fifty days. The effect of gender, age, fracture type, and cast-related complaints on the occurrence of complex regional pain syndrome was analyzed.
RESULTS: Three hundred and seventeen patients with 328 fractures were randomized to receive vitamin C, and ninety-nine patients with ninety-nine fractures were randomized to receive a placebo. The prevalence of complex regional pain syndrome was 2.4% (eight of 328) in the vitamin C group and 10.1% (ten of ninety-nine) in the placebo group (p=0.002); all of the affected patients were elderly women. Analysis of the different doses of vitamin C showed that the prevalence of complex regional pain syndrome was 4.2% (four of ninety-six) in the 200-mg group (relative risk, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.13 to 1.27), 1.8% (two of 114) in the 500-mg group (relative risk, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.77), and 1.7% (two of 118) in the 1500-mg group (relative risk, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.75). Early cast-related complaints predicted the development of complex regional pain syndrome (relative risk, 5.35; 95% confidence interval, 2.13 to 13.42).
CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin C reduces the prevalence of complex regional pain syndrome after wrist fractures. A daily dose of 500 mg for fifty days is recommended.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is a major complication following surgical treatment of fractures of the distal radius. Its pathogenesis is related to lipid peroxidation which damages vascular endothelial cells, increasing capillary permeability. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant. The authors have made a comparative study of two groups of patients with isolated closed displaced fractures of the distal radius, which were reduced and stabilized by intrafocal pinning. Group 1 included 100 patients who were treated from 1995 until 1998 and who did not receive any vitamin C supplementation; group 2 included 95 patients who were treated from 1999 to 2002 and who received daily administration of one gram vitamin C orally during 45 days, starting on the day of fracture. The incidence of reflex sympathetic dystrophy was five time times lower in group 2 (2.1% versus 10%). This is in line with previous observations and lends credit to the value of vitamin C administration as a prophylactic measure to prevent the occurrence of reflex sympathetic dystrophy in patients who undergo surgical treatment of a displaced fracture of the distal radius.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I may occur as complication after any type of surgery for basal joint arthritis of the thumb. We investigated prospectively in an ongoing study our results after a fully standardized treatment with a total joint prosthesis under vitamin C prophylaxis.Patients with trapeziometacarpal arthritis stage II or III according to Dell, and no benefit from conservative treatment, were selected to undergo joint replacement with a semi-constrained hydroxyapatite coated prosthesis.First web opening and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain, activities of daily living (ADL) and satisfaction were taken pre and postoperatively. Vitamin C 500 mg daily was started two days prior to surgery during 50 days as prevention for CRPS. Post-operative treatment was functional.We performed 40 implantations for trapeziometacarpal arthritis in 34 patients (mean age 60.8 years; 27 females, 7 males) with a mean follow-up of 44 months. Operations were performed in day care under regional (or general) anesthesia.First web opening increased with 15.4 degrees and there was a significant improvement for pain, ADL and satisfaction as well (p = 0.000). Patient satisfaction was strongly associated with the amount of pain reduction. According to the Veldman and IASP criteria, there were no cases of CRPS.The overall complication rate for this procedure is high. Literature reports 5 cases of CRPS after 38 operations with the same implant (13%). We advise vitamin C as prophylaxis against CRPS in trapeziometacarpal joint replacement.
