title: The relevance of ligament tears or perforations in the diagnosis of wrist pain: an arthrographic study.
abstract: This study was designed to assess the clinical significance of arthrographic abnormalities in the ligaments of a painful wrist. This was accomplished by means of comparison arthrography of the asymptomatic wrist. Fifty-six consecutive patients with unilateral wrist pain underwent selective bilateral arthrography to assess interruptions of continuity of the triangular fibrocartilage, lunotriquetral, and scapholunate ligaments. The prevalence of bilaterally symmetric lesions was high. In patients with ligament defects in the symptomatic wrist, 88% of defects near the radial attachment of the triangular fibrocartilage, 59% of lunotriquetral defects, and 57% of scapholunate defects were bilateral. Furthermore, physical examination was not predictive of specific ligament defects. This study raises questions concerning the relevance of interrupted ligaments in the diagnosis of wrist pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, OH 45267-0212.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cantor
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wyrick
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Michaels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001175:Arthrography; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013997:Time Factors; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology