A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy in the investigation of chronic wrist pain.

Forty-three patients with chronic wrist pain have been investigated prospectively with magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy. Pathology within the wrist joint was detected in 30 cases with magnetic resonance imaging and 32 cases with arthroscopy. The sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging compared with arthroscopy were 0.8 and 0.7 for triangular fibrocartilage complex pathology, 0.37 and 1.0 for scapholunate ligament and 0 and 0.97 for lunotriquetral ligament. It is concluded that magnetic resonance imaging is unhelpful in the investigation of suspected carpal instability. In analysis of the triangular fibrocartilage complex, the results of magnetic resonance imaging should be interpreted with caution.