Scapholunate ligament: normal MR appearance on three-dimensional gradient-recalled-echo images

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic imaging
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• The scapholunate ligament (SLL) is critical for wrist stability.
• Accurate visualization of SLL anatomy is essential for diagnosing wrist injuries.
• Three-dimensional (3D) gradient-recalled-echo (GRE) sequences offer potential for detailed ligament imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the capability of coronal 3D GRE MRI in visualizing the volar, middle, and dorsal portions of the SLL.
• To characterize the normal magnetic resonance (MR) appearance of SLL portions and their attachments to the lunate and scaphoid.
• To describe the normal appearance of the ligament-cartilage interface for different SLL segments.

Main Methods:

• Coronal 3D GRE MR imaging was performed on 14 patients with arthroscopically normal SLLs.
• Five cadaveric wrists with dissection-proven normal SLLs were also imaged.
• The study focused on evaluating the volar, middle, and dorsal aspects of the SLL.

Main Results:

• The volar SLL portion appeared trapezoidal with high intermediate signal intensity, attaching directly to bone cortex.
• The middle SLL portion was triangular, showing intermediate signal intensity, and typically attached to hyaline cartilage.
• The dorsal SLL portion appeared bandlike with low signal intensity, with variable attachments to cartilage and/or cortex.

Conclusions:

• Coronal 3D GRE MR imaging allows differentiation of the volar, middle, and dorsal SLL portions based on their distinct appearances.
• The study established patterns for SLL portion attachments to cartilage and/or cortex.
• The ligament-cartilage interface exhibits a specific pattern for each SLL segment, aiding in normal anatomical assessment.