Where is the scapholunate joint?
The scapholunate joint is a small joint between two carpal bones at the wrist crease, namely the scaphoid and lunate bones. The scapholunate joint is very important for the stability of the wrist joint. It is often injured during sport, for example, if you fall heavily onto your hand.
What is scapholunate joint space?
The scapholunate interval or gap is the radiographic measurement of the scapholunate joint and widening is indicative of a scapholunate ligament injury.
How do you fix a scapholunate ligament tear?
Partial injuries where there is no instability of the scapholunate joint are most commonly treated with splinting or casting, anti-inflammatories and hand therapy. Surgical treatments including arthroscopic debridement and thermal shrinkage of the ligament have been used.
Why is there a gap in my wrist?
Normally, the scaphoid and the lunate move together because the scapholunate ligament connects them tightly. When a scapholunate ligament tear occurs, the scaphoid bends forward (flexes) and the lunate bends backwards (extends) and a gap may form between the bones.
What is a SLAC wrist?
Scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) is a characteristic degenerative clinical wrist condition of progressive deformity, instability, and arthritis that affects the radiocarpal and mid-carpal joints of the wrist.
What do you do with a SLAC wrist?
Mild symptomatic SLAC can often be managed nonoperatively with periodic steroid injections, splinting, and NSAIDs. If the grip strength of the SLAC wrist is greater than 80% of that of the uninvolved wrist and the condition is not giving rise to significant impairment, then living with SLAC is a valid option.
How is SLAC diagnosed?
Imaging tests such as X-ray, MRI or CT-scans may be ordered for a detailed evaluation of scapholunate ligament injury and other soft tissue structures surrounding the wrist and to also find out the severity of SLAC wrist in relation to stage I, stage II, or stage III.
Is a scapholunate tear painful?
Signs and Symptoms A wrist with an injured scapholunate ligament is often swollen and painful, especially with certain motions. You may also see the following symptoms: Pain when bending the wrist backward. Limited range of motion.
Where is the scapholunate ligament located?
This ligament is in the middle of the wrist between the scaphoid and lunate bones (Figure 1). It is an important structure for painless and full wrist motion. There are different degrees of injury to the scapholunate ligament, varying from stretching to a torn ligament.
What happens when the scapholunate ligament is injured?
The spacing and alignment of the bones in the wrist changes when the scapholunate ligament is injured or you have a torn ligament. This ligament usually holds the scaphoid and the lunate together.
Is the scapholunate interosseous ligament associated with non-enhanced MRI and wrist arthroscopy?
The scapholunate interosseous ligament in MR arthrography of the wrist: correlation with non-enhanced MRI and wrist arthroscopy. Skeletal Radiol. 1997;26:263–271. doi: 10.1007/s002560050233.
What is a scapholunate advanced collapse injury?
In a scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) injury, the ligament is completely torn, and the injury has been there a long time (years) causing arthritis, or evidence of cartilage damage, to be seen on regular x-rays in addition to the gapping between the scaphoid and the lunate.