A COMPARISON OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING AND ARTHROSCOPY IN THE INVESTIGATION OF CHRONIC WRIST PAIN

Forty-three patients with chronic wrist pain have been investigated pr ospectively with magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy. Pathology within the wrist joint was detected in 30 cases with magnetic resonan ce imaging and 32 cases with arthroscopy. The sensitivity and specific ity of magnetic resonance imaging compared with arthroscopy were 0.8 a nd 0.7 for triangular fibrocartilage complex pathology, 0.37 and 1.0 f or scapholunate ligament and 0 and 0.97 for lunotriquetral ligament, I t is concluded that magnetic resonance imaging is unhelpful in the inv estigation of suspected carpal instability, In analysis of the triangu lar fibrocartilage complex, the results of magnetic resonance imaging should be interpreted with caution.