[Scapholunate instability. Diagnosis--classification--treatment]

Scapholunate instability is more or less caused by injury. The ligament instability between lunate and scaphoid is not easily to be identified even there is only a little widening of this space between both bones. The instability may be proved by physical examination, by x-ray and by arthroscopy. The scapholunate instability may occur in a different manner. It is divided in three stages. In stage I a none operative treatment is sufficient. For the other stages an operative treatment is necessary: The operative treatment begins with suture of the ligament, continues with ligamentoplasty and ends with intracarpal fusions. At least a total arthrodesis of the wrist is necessary.