The dorsal carpal ligaments: their anatomy and function.

The dorsal carpal ligaments were studied in 50 embalmed wrists. The radial collateral ligament was thin and oblique. The distribution of the dorsal radio-carpal ligament varied and it was classified into four subtypes. Neither ulnar collateral ligament nor dorsal radio-ulnar ligament was isolated as a discrete structure: instead, there were confluent soft tissues on the dorso-ulnar aspect of the wrist. The dorsal radio-carpal ligament and the dorso-ulnar component of the triangular fibro-cartilage complex, as well as the fibrous septa and the extensor tendons, were found to be the most important stabilizers of the wrist dorsally.