Distal radioulnar joint subluxation and dislocation diagnosed by standard roentgenography.
The use of standard lateral roentgenography for diagnosing distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) subluxation and dislocation was investigated. Using a wrist support, bilateral standard lateral roentgenograms of the wrist were obtained in 42 patients with normal wrists and in 56 patients with a unilateral wrist injury. In normal wrists the difference between the radioulnar distance in the right and the left wrist did not exceed 4 mm when the difference in the pisoscaphoid distance was less than 3 mm. Of the 36 patients with wrist injury whose difference in pisoscaphoid distance was less than 3 mm, 15 had a radioulnar distance of 5 mm or more, and computed tomography (CT) confirmed DRUJ dislocation in 14. Concordance between lateral roentgenograms and CT was present in 33 of 36 patients (92%). These results demonstrate the value of a standardized technique for bilateral lateral roentgenography in diagnosing DRUJ subluxation and dislocation.
Nakamura
R
R
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Branch Hospital of Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Horii
E
E
Imaeda
T
T
Tsunoda
K
K
Nakao
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011884:Radius / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014457:Ulna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging