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Association of lunate morphology, sex, and lunotriquetral interosseous ligament injury with radiologic measurement of the capitate-triquetrum joint

Skeletal Radiology volume 46, pages 1729–1737 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

Radiologic presentation of carpal instability at the radial side of the carpus, e.g. scapholunate diastasis following scapholunate interosseous ligament injury, has been studied extensively. By comparison, presentation at the ulnar-sided carpus has not. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lunate morphology, sex, and lunotriquetral interosseous ligament (LTIL) status on the radiologic measurement of the capitate-triquetrum joint (C-T distance). Further, we sought to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of C-T distance for assessing LTIL injuries.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively identified 223 wrists with wrist radiographs and MR arthrograms with contrast injection. Data collected included sex, lunate morphology and LTIL status from MR arthrography, and C-T distance from radiography. The effects of lunate morphology, sex, and LTIL injury status on C-T distance were evaluated using generalized linear models. Diagnostic performance of C-T distance was assessed by the area under receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results and conclusion

Lunate morphology, sex, and LTIL injury status all had significant effects on C-T distance; wrists with type II lunates, men, and wrists with LTIL injuries had greater C-T distances than wrists with type I lunates, women, and wrists without LTIL injuries, respectively (p < 0.01). The diagnostic value of the C-T distance for identifying patients with full-thickness LTIL tears was sufficient for women with type I (AUROC = 0.67) and type II lunates (0.60) and good for men with type I (0.72) and type II lunates (0.77). The demonstrated influence of LTIL status on C-T distance supports the use of C-T distance as a tool in assessing for full-thickness LTIL tears.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health grants 2 K12 HD051958 and R03 EB015099. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government. The authors thank Brent Foster and John Brock for help with materials for the manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of California – Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Marissa Borgese, Robert D. Boutin & Abhijit J. Chaudhari

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California – Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Christopher O. Bayne & Robert M. Szabo

Authors
  1. Marissa Borgese
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  2. Robert D. Boutin
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  3. Christopher O. Bayne
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  4. Robert M. Szabo
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  5. Abhijit J. Chaudhari
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Correspondence to Abhijit J. Chaudhari.

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Borgese, M., Boutin, R.D., Bayne, C.O. et al. Association of lunate morphology, sex, and lunotriquetral interosseous ligament injury with radiologic measurement of the capitate-triquetrum joint. Skeletal Radiol 46, 1729–1737 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-017-2747-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-017-2747-x

Keywords

  • Wrist injuries
  • Carpal bones
  • Sex characteristics
  • Ligaments
  • Radiography
  • Diagnostic techniques and procedures