Computed Tomographic Arthrography (Arthroscanner) of the Wrist Joint: Why, How, and When

Acute or chronic wrist pain is a common presentation to a general orthopedic surgeon. The wrist joint is considered one of the most complex articulations in the human body. The complex arrangement of the wrist's intrinsic and extrinsic ligaments and their biomechanics are challenging for the surgeon to diagnose the wrist pathology despite clinical examination. Radiographs, CT scans and MRI are a few modalities that diagnose wrist pathologies efficiently. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in evaluating the chondral, bone, and ligamentous lesion are its limitations. Wrist arthroscopy is considered the reference standard for diagnosing intraarticular pathology of the wrist. Surgical intervention, anesthesia, and the learning curve in wrist arthroscopy are its drawbacks.

CT arthrography is a reliable option for viewing bone anatomy and diagnosing ligamentous tears, cartilage lesions, avulsion injuries, and chondral defects. This review article will discuss surgical anatomy, methods of performing CT arthrography, interpretation of the results, and their advances.