Arthrography of the traumatized wrist. Correlation with radiography and the carpal instability series.

Abstract

Arthrography with fluoroscopic monitoring was used to assess the soft tissues of the wrist in 100 patients who had chronic traumatic pain but did not have rheumatoid arthritis. Findings were correlated with plain radiographs and the carpal instability series. Arthrograms were normal in 26% of cases and demonstrated perforation of the triangular fibrocartilage in 26%, radiocarpal-midcarpal communication in 30%, capsular lesions in 31%, lymphatic opacification in 12%, and tendon sheath filling in 10%. Communication between the radiocarpal and pisiform-triquetral compartments, a normal finding, was seen in 69%. Perforation of the triangular fibrocartilage was significantly associated with both ulna-plus variance and carpal instability.