Severity of scapholunate instability is related to joint anatomy and congruency

To determine whether the bony architecture of the distal radius and proximal scaphoid have a role in stabilizing the scaphoid, and to determine whether a relationship between the bony geometry measurements and the amount of wrist constraint could be determined.

Eight cadaver wrists were tested in a wrist joint motion simulator. The level of scapholunate instability after sectioning the scapholunate interosseous, radioscaphocapitate, and the scaphotrapezium ligaments was determined and related to radiographic measurements of volar tilt, lateral tilt (ulnar tilt of the radioscaphoid fossa), the depth of the radioscaphoid fossa, and 6 radii of curvature measurements of the proximal scaphoid and distal radius. The force to dorsally dislocate the scaphoid out of the radioscaphoid fossa was computed.

The radioscaphoid fossa and scaphoid curvatures were larger in those wrists that did not show gross instability after ligamentous sectioning in the wrist simulator. Similarly, those wrists with a deeper radioscaphoid fossa and greater volar tilt were also more stable. The force required to dislocate these wrists was greater than in those wrists that showed gross carpal instability.

This study suggests that the bony anatomy of the radius and scaphoid have a role in stabilizing the carpus after ligament injury. The effect of ligament sectioning on producing carpal instability may be moderated by the bone geometry of the radiocarpal joint. This may explain why some people may have a tear of the scapholunate interosseous ligament but not present with clinical symptoms.