Magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist: anatomy and pathology of interosseous ligaments and the triangular fibrocartilage complex.

The complex anatomy of the radiocarpal joint and proximal carpus renders high-quality magnetic resonance imaging difficult and interpretation more problematic than in other areas of the skeleton. Added to this, the common occurrence of abnormal communications through the triangular fibrocartilage complex, scapholunate, and lunotriquetral ligaments often results in difficulty in assessing the importance of findings. This article reviews the anatomy, gives suggestions for protocols for scanning the wrist, and reviews the pathologic conditions that may be seen in these structures. In particular, it emphasizes the 3-dimensional nature of these structures and how best to evaluate them in axial, coronal, and sagittal planes.