Radiographic signs of static carpal instability with distal end radius fractures: is current treatment adequate?

Patients presenting with distal end radius fractures may have concomitant carpal instability due to disruption of the scapholunate ligament. This study examined the incidence of static radiographic signs of carpal instability in patients with distal radial fractures before and after fracture treatment. We performed a retrospective radiographic study of 141 patients presenting to Central Middlesex Hospital, London between January 2002-May 2004 with distal end radius fractures. We used abnormal scapholunate angle as the primary indicator of possible carpal dissociation. Abnormal scapholunate angles were noted in 39% of patients at presentation and 35% of patients after treatment with no statistically significant intra-patient variability. Persistent static radiographic signs of carpal instability are high in this subset of patients. The long-term morbidity of persistent wrist instability may be avoided by early radiological diagnosis with clinical correlation to identify carpal ligament injuries and initiate treatment that addresses both the bony and ligamentous components of the injury.