Purpose: To determine whether a filling defect seen at radiocarpal arthrography represents the volar radioscaphocapitate ligament and to establish how frequently this finding is seen in patients referred for wrist arthrography.
Materials and methods: Radiopaque markers were surgically placed along the borders of the radioscaphocapitate ligament in three cadaveric wrist specimens. Each cadaveric wrist was examined at arthrography. Seventy contrast material-enhanced wrist arthrograms were retrospectively reviewed for visualization of the radioscaphocapitate ligament. The arthrographic appearance of the ligament was compared with its reported appearance at dissection, radiography, and magnetic resonance arthrography.
Results: The cadaveric study, together with an analysis of the appearance of the ligament, confirmed that the radioscaphocapitate ligament can be seen as a filling defect at radiocarpal arthrography. Fifty-five (78%) of the 70 clinical arthrograms unequivocally demonstrated the radioscaphocapitate ligament. The ligament was most conspicuous early during the injection, especially with the wrist in ulnar deviation.
Conclusion: The radioscaphocapitate ligament of the wrist can be visualized during routine radiocarpal arthrography. Future studies will need to determine whether abnormalities of the radioscaphocapitate ligament can be diagnosed at arthrography.