Diagnostic and operative arthroscopy of the wrist.

The evaluation and diagnosis of wrist disorders has traditionally been difficult and problematic. Ligamentous wrist sprains and their associated carpal instabilities, triangular fibrocartilage complex disruptions, and cartilage injuries have been virtually impossible to fully assess because of the inadequacy of current diagnostic techniques. Arthroscopy of the wrist allows a thorough evaluation of the soft-tissue structures and cartilaginous surfaces within the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints. In selected cases, wrist arthroscopy can be employed to surgically modify the intraarticular lesions and to assist in the planning of reconstructive operations.