Wrist Ligaments Injuries and Instability

Abstract

Wrist instability is a challenging topic for radiologists due to the wrist's intricate ligamentous anatomy and complex kinematics. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the intrinsic and extrinsic wrist ligaments, their characteristic imaging appearance, and the pathomechanics and classification systems of carpal instability to enhance radiologists' ability with the diagnosis of wrist ligamentous pathologies. Furthermore, the evolving role of advanced imaging modalities, such as high-resolution MR, kinematic MRI, MR arthrography, 4DCT, CT arthrography, and dynamic imaging techniques for the assessment of the wrist biomechanics and detecting subtle ligamentous injuries were detailed.

Keywords: 3D MR imaging; 4DCT; Carpal instability; Dynamic MR imaging; Scapholunate ligament; Triangular fibrocartilage complex; Wrist ligaments.