Highlights of Carpal bones

The content has been revised by Pavel Dráč, Matej Kastelec, and Fabio Suarez with Simon Lambert as executive editor.

Visit the module entry page here!

The aim of the current module revision is to make the diagnostics and treatment of the most common wrist injuries accessible to orthopedic trauma surgeons who are not hand specialists.

Diagnostics and treatment are discussed step by step and documented with drawings, radiographs, CT scans and perioperative photos in the sense of a simple cookbook.

The pages devoted to fractures of the carpal bones other than the scaphoid expand the original concept and allow readers to familiarize themselves with the basic principles of treatment for these less common injuries.

A common problem with carpal injuries is their complexity. The forces that cause carpal injuries may not be exhausted by affecting one bone (eg, scaphoid) or one ligament complex (scapholunate), but may further injure other structures in the sense of the greater or lesser arc pattern.

Keeping this in mind will reduce the risk of overlooking some carpal injuries and resulting inadequate therapy with poor final outcome.

The main differences to the first edition are:

• Hamate hook fracture management
• Tubercle avulsion fractures
• Differentiation of lesser arc and greater arc injuries
• Description and indications for scaphoid dissociation, lunocapitate and midcarpal dislocation, and lunate dislocation

Pages on the following topics have been added:

• Classifications
• Dislocation and fracture-dislocation of the carpometacarpal joints
• Patient assessment and preparation
• Complications and technical failures
• Basic technique on headless compression screw fixation

The following videos have been added:

• Scaphoid-Fracture – Percutaneous Fixation with the 3.0 mm Headless Compression Screw (HCS)
• Wrist joint – Dorsal approach
• Wrist joint–Scaphoid bone – Palmar approach

Read all release notes and the table of contents here.