title: Direct magnetic resonance arthrography of the wrist with axial traction: a feasibility study to assess joint cartilage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of axial traction during acquisition of direct magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography of the wrist with regard to joint space width and amount of contrast material between the opposing cartilage surfaces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen consecutive patients (12 male, mean age 38.1 years) were included in this Institutional Review Board-approved prospective study. Three-compartment wrist MR arthrographies were performed between October and December 2009 on a 3 T unit using a fat-suppressed T1-weighted isotropic high-resolution volumetric interpolated breathhold examination (VIBE) sequence in the coronal plane, with and without axial traction (3 kg). Two radiologists measured radiocarpal (radioscaphoid, radiolunate) and midcarpal (lunocapitate, hamatolunate) joint space widths, with and without traction, and assessed the amount of contrast material between the opposing cartilage surfaces using a three-point scale: 0 = absence, 1 = partial, 2 = complete.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With traction, joint space width increased significantly at the radioscaphoid (Δ = 0.78 mm, P < 0.01), radiolunate (Δ = 0.18 mm, P < 0.01), and lunocapitate (Δ = 0.45 mm, P < 0.01) spaces, and both observers detected significantly more contrast material between the cartilage surfaces. At the hamatolunate space, the differences in joint space width (Δ = 0.14 mm, P = 0.54) and amount of contrast material were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Direct wrist MR arthrography with axial traction of 3 kg increases joint space width at the radiocarpal and lunocapitate spaces, and prompts better coverage of the articular cartilage by the contrast material.
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Guntern
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Becce
authors: Delphine
authors: D
authors: Richarme
authors: Nuno S
authors: NS
authors: Palhais
authors: Reto
authors: R
authors: Meuli
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Theumann