Acute Scapholunate Ligament Injuries: Arthroscopic Treatment

Wrist arthroscopy is an effective technique for treating acute scapholunate instability. It allows an accurate assessment of the degree and extent of the ligament injury. Partial injuries are effectively treated with arthroscopic debridement and electrothermal ligament tightening. Complete ligament injuries treated arthroscopically allow direct visualization of the torn ligament and assessment of the degree of scaphoid displacement and rotation. The use of arthroscopy allows a more accurate reduction of the scaphoid and lunate at the time of fixation than can be obtained using just fluoroscopy.