[Possibilities of MR tomography of diseases of the hand and wrist].

MRI studies of 63 patients with various abnormalities of the hand and wrist were analyzed. Studies were performed on scanners with a field strength of 0.35, 0.5, or 1.5 T. Imaging parameters included T1- and T2-weighted sequences in the coronal and transverse planes and contiguous slices 3-5 mm thick. In 37 patients with post-traumatic disorders, MRI revealed carpal avascular necrosis, tendon abnormalities and, in some cases, abnormalities of interosseous ligaments and the triangular fibrocartilage. In 15 patients with such inflammatory diseases as arthritis, tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome and in 11 patients with tumors, MRI provided clear delineation of osseous and soft tissue abnormalities. The current role of MRI in the diagnosis of hand and wrist abnormalities is discussed on the basis of these results.