Wrist MRI Arthrogram v Wrist Arthroscopy: What are we Finding?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Musculoskeletal Imaging

Background:

• Wrist arthroscopy is a common procedure for diagnosing and treating wrist pathologies.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) arthrogram is a non-invasive imaging technique that can visualize intra-articular structures of the wrist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI arthrogram with wrist arthroscopy.
• To establish the sensitivity and specificity of MRI arthrogram for detecting specific wrist pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 30 patients who underwent both wrist MRI arthrogram and wrist arthroscopy.
• Analysis of radiological findings from MRI arthrogram reports and operative notes from arthroscopy.
• Calculation of sensitivity and specificity for triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), scapholunate, and lunotriquetral ligament tears.

Main Results:

• MRI arthrogram demonstrated 90% sensitivity and 75% specificity for TFCC tears.
• 100% sensitivity and specificity were achieved for lunotriquetral ligament tears.
• 91% sensitivity and 88% specificity were reported for scapholunate ligament tears.

Conclusions:

• MRI arthrogram is a highly accurate diagnostic tool for evaluating wrist ligament injuries, especially lunotriquetral tears.
• While both procedures are invasive, MRI arthrogram is cost-effective for diagnosis, whereas arthroscopy offers both diagnostic and therapeutic benefits.