[Wrist joint arthroscopy in obscure post-traumatic symptoms].

Clarification of posttraumatic wrist complaints is relatively difficult. Symptoms are often dismissed as wrist sprain. In an arthrogram a communication between the inferior radio-ulnar joint and the radiocarpal joint may indicate an injury of the triangular disc. In elderly patients, however, this communication can be present due to degenerative changes. Arthroscopy helps to evaluate not only the condition of the triangular disc, but also the cartilage of the distal forearm, the proximal carpal row, and some of the intercarpal ligaments. The authors report the results of wrist arthroscopy in twenty patients. Clinical and radiological examinations cannot always reveal the cause of disorders of the wrist. In these cases the procedure of arthroscopy can be recommended for preoperative clarification of cases of obscure posttraumatic wrist symptoms.