Abstract
Post-traumatic ulnar carpal translocation is a rare, severe ligamentous injury to the wrist. Radiologic findings include widening of the radiocarpal joint space at the radial styloid process and ulnar displacement of the carpus. Less than 50% of the lunate articulates with the radius in the neutral position; the lunate is tilted dorsally with palmar subluxation due to a ruptured radioscapholunate (RSL) ligament. This malposition should be called rotatory palmar subluxation of the lunate (RPSL), by analogy to rotatory subluxation of the scaphoid (RSS). In contrast to dorsiflexed intercalated segment instability (DISI), in RPSL the RSL ligament is ruptured and, in the majority of cases, the scapholunate ligament remains intact. A prompt diagnosis should lead to successful treatment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bellinghausen HW, Gilula LA, Young LV, Weeks PM (1983) Post-traumatic palmar carpal subluxation. Report of two cases. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 65:998
Buck-Gramcko D (1986) Instabilitäten der Handwurzel. Orthopäde 15:88
Collins LC, Lidsky MD, Sharp JT, Moreland J (1972) Malpositions of carpal bones in rheumatoid arthritis. Radiology 103:95
Gilula LA, Weeks PM (1978) Post-traumatic ligamentous instabilities of the wrist. Radiology 129:641
Lewis OJ, Hamshere RJ, Bucknill TM (1970) The anatomy of the wrist joint. J Anat 106:539
Linscheid RL (1969) The mechanical factors affecting deformity at the wrist in rheumatoid arthritis. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 51:790
Linscheid RL, Dobyns JH, Beabout JW, Bryan RS (1972) Traumatic instability of the wrist. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 54:1612
Mayfield JK, Johnson RP, Kilcoyne RF (1976) The ligaments of the wrist and their functional significance. Anat Rec 186:417
Mayfield JK, Johnson RP, Kilcoyne RF (1980) Carpal dislocations: pathomechanics and progressive perilunar instability. J Hand Surg 5:226
Penny III WH, Greene TL (1989) Volar radiocarpal dislocation with ulnar translocation. J Orthop Trauma 2:322
Rayhack JM, Linscheid RL, Dobyns JH (1987) Posttraumatic ulnar translocation of the carpus. J Hand Surg 12A:180
Saffar P (1990) Carpal injuries. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Sennwald G (1987) Das Handgelenk. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Taleisnik J (1976) The ligaments of the wrist. J Hand Surg 1:110
Taleisnik J (1980) Post-traumatic carpal instability. Clini Othop Rel Res 149:73
Taleisnik J (1988) Current concepts review carpal instability. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 70:1262
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stäbler, A., Baumeister, R.G.H., Szeimies, U. et al. Rotatory palmar subluxation of the lunate in post-traumatic ulnar carpal translocation. Skeletal Radiol. 23, 103–106 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00563201
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00563201