Abstract
Background: The wrist is a complex joint that bridges the hand to the forearm. Chronic wrist pain causes disabilities in day to day activities. Clinical examination helps in assessment, but for further evaluation, imaging provides detailed information and helps in patient’s management.
Aim of the study is to evaluate post-traumatic lesions, avascular necrosis, chondral injuries and arthritis, tendon pathologies and internal derangements of ligaments and the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) by using magnetic resonance imaging technique.
Material and Methods: A prospective study, was carried out in our institute from August 2014 to October, 2016, with written approval of ethical committee, under which 50 patients were selected who were referred from orthopaedic department with complaint of chronic (>6 months) wrist pain and positive tests in clinical examination, assessed by using SIEMENS MAGNETOM ESSENZA 1.5T MRI machine for characterization.
Results: In our study, most common pathology causing chronic wrist pain was ganglionic cyst (56%) followed by tendon pathology (36%), infective/inflammatory conditions (22%), ligamentous degenerative tear (18%), and osseous tumour (4%). Most common ligamentous injury is triangular fibro-cartilage complex (TFCC).
Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging provides a relevant way to diagnose the wrist pathologies with high-resolution, multi-planar imaging without employing ionizing radiation. It influences clinical and surgical diagnosis and management of wrist pathologies.
Keywords: Chronic wrist pain, Magnetic resonance imaging, Triangular fibro-cartilage complex (TFCC).
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i6.126
