Perilunate Injuries and Dislocations Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management

Perilunate injuries most commonly occur in high energy trauma situations; however, they are rare and frequently missed. Familiarity with the complex bony and ligamentous anatomy is required to fully understand these complex injury patterns. Careful orthogonal imaging and evaluation is required to ensure timely diagnosis of a perilunate injury. Early recognition and management of acute perilunate injuries has been demonstrated to correlate with better patient outcomes. Delayed treatment of chronic injuries can result in post-traumatic osteoarthritis and carpal collapse requiring salvage interventions. Here, we review the anatomy, basic evaluation, and management of this frequently missed injury.