Carpal Ligament Instability eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: The human wrist joint is a complex arrangement of small bones and ligaments that form a mobile yet stable link from the powerful forearm to the hand. The normally functioning carpus can position the hand precisely relative to the forearm and provides remarkably stable transmission of forces. Motion and stability of the carpus provide the critical foundation for maximum hand function from precise fine motor control to power grip activities. When the normal mechanics of the wrist are disrupted, the instability of the carpal bones results in weakness, stiffness, chronic pain, and often arthritis if not treated appropriately. Although the early clinical and radiographic findings may be subtle, an understanding of wrist kinematics and instability patterns can facilitate early diagnosis and management. Unfortunately, selecting the optimal treatment remains a difficult judgment in most cases.
Synonyms and related keywords: carpal instability, wrist instability, shakes, dorsal intercalated-segment instability, DISI, a fall on an outstretched wrist, a fall on an outstretched hand, scapholunate interosseous ligament, SLIL, lunotriquetral interosseous ligament, LTIL, volar intercalated-segment instability, VISI, scaphoid shift test, Kleinman shear test, Reagan shuck test, pivot shift test, radiocarpal ligament, radioscaphocapitate ligament, RSC ligament, radioscapholunate ligament, RSL ligament, short radiolunate ligament, SRL ligament, long radiolunate ligament, LRL ligament, ulnolunate ligament, UL ligament, ulnotriquetrum ligament, UT ligament, scaphocapitate ligament, SC ligament, dorsal intercarpal ligament, DIC ligament, adaptive carpal instability, ulnar translocation, Blatt dorsal capsulodesis
Berdia & Shin 2005