This is a retrospective analysis of 64 patients undergoing diagnostic arthroscopy for wrist pain. The author performed diagnostic arthroscopy and graded ligament injuries according to the Geissler classification. The average duration of wrist pain prior to arthroscopy was 20 months.
There were 35 of 64 patients who had dorsal radiocarpal ligament tears. There 5 out of 64 patients who had an isolated dorsal radiocarpal ligament tear. More significantly, 7 of 13 patients with a scapholunate interosseus tear had a dorsal radiocarpal ligament tear; 2 of 7 with lunotriquetral interosseus ligament injuries also had dorsal radiocarpal tears. Most significantly, 6 of 7 patients with TFCC tears had associated dorsal radiocarpal tear.
The author concluded that dorsal radiocarpal ligament injuries were commonly seen in conjunction with injuries of the scapholunate interosseus ligament, lunotriquetral interosseus ligament, and TFCC. While the significance of these injuries remains unknown, it certainly indicates the growing understanding that interosseus ligament injuries in the wrist rarely occur in isolation.