Wrist arthroscopy: a prospective analysis of 53 post-traumatic carpal injuries.

We carried out a prospective study of 53 consecutive patients who had sustained a serious wrist injury. Patients who presented with a previous condition or who had undergone surgery to the wrist were excluded. History, clinical findings, standard radiographs and arthrography were correlated with the uninjured side and with arthroscopic findings. The radiolunate (RL) angle of the injured wrist differed significantly from that of the "normal" wrist (p = 0.088). POssible correlations within the whole group were studied by multivariate analysis, particularly k-means clustering, a procedure which enables the detection of natural groups. We found that ligamentous tears at the triquetrum in the midcarpal joint significantly (p = 0.004) affected the equilibrium of the proximal row defined by clustering with the RL and scapholunate (SL) angles. The use of multivariate analysis techniques in combination with cross tabulation for the surgery of intracarpal ligamentous abnormalities seen at arthroscopy might help us to define better the function of the ligaments of the wrist. These findings, of little help in daily practice, might be important for clinical research.