Sf. Viegas et al., EXTRINSIC WRIST LIGAMENTS IN THE PATHOMECHANICS OF ULNAR TRANSLATION INSTABILITY, The Journal of hand surgery, 20A(2), 1995, pp. 312-318
A description of the various combinations of ligament disruptions nece
ssary for ulnar translation instability is presented based on a series
of cadaver dissections and load studies. Dissections and load studies
demonstrated that major ligament disruption, even to the extent that
only the dorsal ulnolunate, the palmar ulnolunate or the radioscaphoca
pitate, and the long radiolunate ligaments were left intact, failed to
result in meaningful ulnar translation of the carpus. The radioscapho
capitate ligament alone could not prevent significant ulnar translatio
n. Palmar translation instability was evident with less ligament disru
ption than that needed for ulnar translation and was always evident if
there was ulnar translation. These studies imply that ulnar translati
on represents a much more global ligament disruption and instability t
han previously suggested in the literature.