The “Four-Leaf Clover” Treatment Algorithm: A Practical Approach to Manage Disorders of the Distal Radioulnar Joint

Most symptomatic distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) conditions result from derangements to several structures that may include the length, shape, and/or orientation of the articulating surfaces; the cartilage of the DRUJ and/or ulnocarpal joint; the DRUJ and/or ulnocarpal joint ligaments; and the extensor carpi ulnaris and/or pronator quadratus muscle. Once a complete diagnosis is made, often only one of these components is addressed, which results in suboptimal clinical outcomes. In this article, we present a treatment algorithm (the Four-Leaf Clover algorithm) to guide treatment of DRUJ pathology. The Four-Leaf Clover principle is a guiding algorithm, not a document forcing the surgeon to adopt one particular treatment. Its purpose is to provide treating physicians with a checklist that helps ensure that they do not miss any of the different components that need to be addressed for a complete treatment. Using the treatment algorithm, we should achieve satisfactory resolution of patients’ symptoms after addressing the particular components in a stepwise approach.