Dynamic Wrist Radiographs in Patients with and without a Ganglion Cyst

Objectives  The purpose of this study was to find out if carpal instability played a role in the etiology of ganglion cysts. Materials and Methods  Dynamic wrist radiographs of 33 patients with and without a ganglion cyst of the wrist were compared. The control group consisted of patients who had dynamic radiographs of both wrists after a traumatic event in one wrist. Measurements were performed on the contralateral uninjured side. Radiological parameters that may indicate carpal instability included: width of the scapholunate gap, scapholunate, radiolunate, and lunocapitate angles, and ulnar translocation. Results  No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups except for lunocapitate angle which was higher in wrists with ganglion cysts. However, mean lunocapitate angle was still within the normal range. Conclusions  It could be concluded that in this study we did not see a difference between scapholunate gap and radiocarpal angles with the presence or absence of a ganglion cyst.