Surgical Procedures of the Hand and Wrist in Young Patients with Rheumatic Affections

Treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has made dramatic improvements in the past 25 years. "Hit hard and early" is the strategy of drug treatment for inflammatory rheumatic diseases today [7,9,11,12]. In the age of biologics, the variety of drugs allows for multiple variations to slow down or even stop the disease process [19]. Therefore, in the absence of regression of process activity, meaning a synovial swelling of tendons or joints, it has become important to know at an early stage whether or not surgical treatment should be performed for the preservation of tendons or joints [25]. By early interaction of medical and surgical treatment, young patients affected by rheumatism may benefit from a low level of pain and functional impairment in everyday activities in the long run, not only with a view to the hand. The preservation of tendons and joints takes highest priority over reconstructive surgical options.