Radio-carpal dislocation

Radiocarpal dislocation is a rare but severe wrist injury usually in young adults after high energy trauma. This may be associated with distal radius fracture. The extrinsic ligaments are disrupted and should be repaired to prevent ulnar translocation and progression of arthritis. Conventional open repair of the ligaments results in extensive scar tissues and stiffness. Percutaneous pinning alone may not be effective to allow proper ligament healing and results in radiocarpal translation and subsequent stiffness and arthritis. With advance in arthroscopic technique and better understanding of the ligamentous anatomy of the wrist ligaments, arthroscopic repair may provide better outcome. In this talk two cases of radiocarpal dislocation treated with arthroscopic repair of ligaments will be presented. The surgical technique will be described and a review of latest understanding of this rare condition will be discussed.