[Post-traumatic carpal collapse. Follow-up and therapeutic concept]

Significant progress has been made in the understanding of carpal kinematics and posttraumatic disorders of the wrist. The importance of stabilization of the scaphoid is well known. More and more ligament injuries of the proximal carpal row have been diagnosed in cases of severe arthrotic changes. Long-standing scaphoid nounion or scapholunate ligament injuries can lead to progressive carpal collapse due to a break of the continuity of the proximal carpal row. SLAC-wrist (scapholunate advanced collapse) and SNAC-wrist (scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse) after missed fusion of scaphoid fractures should be differentiated. Severity of degenerative changes is classified into three stages. Salvage procedures preserving wrist mobility, like midcarpal fusion, are preferable to total wrist fusion because of the functional benefit. With complete excision of the scaphoid and fusion of the midcarpal joint, all arthritic joint surfaces are eliminated and motion is preserved in the radiolunate joint which is usually spared of degenerative changes.