Posttreatment Imaging of the Wrist and Hand: Update 2022

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Surgical interventions are common for various wrist and hand conditions, including fractures, arthritis, and nerve entrapments.
• Many procedures necessitate surgical hardware and require ongoing imaging surveillance.
• Accurate interpretation of postoperative imaging is vital for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the essential imaging principles for evaluating postoperative wrist and hand patients.
• To highlight the role of various imaging modalities in diagnosing complications.
• To emphasize the radiologist's need for surgical procedure knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Review of common surgical indications for wrist and hand procedures.
• Discussion of imaging modalities used in postoperative assessment (radiography, CT, MRI, US, nuclear medicine).
• Emphasis on recognizing normal postoperative imaging findings versus complications.

Main Results:

• Radiography is the primary initial imaging modality.
• Advanced imaging techniques are employed for detailed complication characterization.
• Radiologists must correlate imaging findings with surgical context.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of surgical procedures is fundamental for interpreting postoperative wrist and hand imaging.
• Familiarity with both normal and abnormal postoperative imaging appearances is essential for radiologists.
• Effective diagnosis of complications relies on appropriate modality selection and interpretation skills.