MR arthrography versus conventional MRI and diagnostic arthroscope in patients with chronic wrist pain

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of direct wrist MR arthrography (MRA) compared to conventional MRI in diagnosis of different pathologic entities causing chronic wrist pain.

37 consecutive patients 22 males and 15 females, with age range from 16 to 49 years "mean age 28 years" complaining of unexplained chronic wrist pain were prospectively examined by using MRI and MRA with arthroscopic correlation in 25 of them. Findings were divided into 5 main groups of lesions including triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) lesions, ligamentous injuries, osseous lesions, tendon pathology and ganglion.

MRA picked up more ligamentous injuries and triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) lesions that couldn`t be detected on MRI study while both were equal in detection of other types of lesions. TFCC lesions were the most common pathologic findings in both MRI and MRA. Arthroscopic correlation in 25 suspected TFCC lesions (clinically, radiologically or both) revealed that the sensitivity / specificity / accuracy of MRI and MRA were 87.5% / 100% / 96% and 100% / 100% / 100% respectively for central lesions while were 71.4% / 81.3% / 76% and 100% / 90.9% / 96% respectively For peripheral lesions. Extra-capsular lesions, like tenosynovitis and fracture hook of hamate couldn`t be confirmed arthroscopically.

MRA can replace both MRI and diagnostic arthroscopy in detecting causes of chronic wrist pain.