RADIOSCAPHOCAPITATE LIGAMENT OF THE WRIST - VOLAR FILLING DEFECT OF DURING RADIOCARPAL ARTHROGRAPHY

PURPOSE: To determine whether a filling defect seen at radiocarpal art hrography represents the volar radioscaphocapitate ligament and to est ablish how frequently this finding is seen in patients referred for wr ist arthrography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiopaque markers were surgi cally 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 wer e retrospectively reviewed for visualization of the radioscaphocapitat e 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 radios caphocapitate ligament can be seen as a filling defect at radiocarpal arthrography. Fifty-five (78%) of the 70 clinical arthrograms unequivo cally 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 t he wrist can be visualized during routine radiocarpal arthrography. Fu ture studies will need to determine whether abnormalities of the radio scaphocapitate ligament can be diagnosed at arthrography.