Scapholunate interosseous ligament of the wrist: MR appearances in asymptomatic volunteers and arthrographically normal wrists.

PURPOSE

To determine if the carpal scapholunate ligament (SLL) can be consistently visualized with commercial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques and to establish the normal range of MR appearances of the SLL as a basis for comparison with SLL tears.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MR imaging helped identify and characterize the appearance of the SLL in 80 wrists with presumably normal SLLs (54 wrists in 27 asymptomatic volunteers and 26 patients with normal arthrograms). A dual-echo, gradient-echo technique was used.

RESULTS

The SLL was visible in all 80 wrists and was seen on an average of almost four sections. It was delta-shaped in 72 wrists and linear in eight; there was absent signal intensity in 63% or intermediate signal intensity traversing all or part of the SLL in 37%. Distribution and extent of hyaline cartilage signal intensity at the insertion sites into the scaphoid and lunate bones were variable but related to the location within the SLL.

CONCLUSION

The SLL can be consistently identified, but the normal variation in the MR appearance of the lunotriquetral ligament must be appreciated when evaluating wrists with suspected SLL tears.