Complications of wrist arthroscopy and how to prevent them.

The incidence of complications related to wrist arthroscopy is unknown because of the small number of reported cases. Potential complications have been identified and are classified as (1) traction related; (2) complications incurred during the establishment of portals; (3) procedure-specific complications; and (4) miscellaneous. Techniques are described that may decrease the likelihood of each of these complications.