Abstract
Background Patients with scapholunate instability usually have pain in the dorsal wrist. This
pain may occur due to the impingement between the scaphoid and the dorsal rim of the
radius when the scaphoid is detached from the lunate. This pain appears as the scaphoid
is displaced over the dorsal rim of the radius. The arthroscopic scaphoid 3D (dorsal,
dynamic, displacement) test is described here to check this pathologic dorsal displacement
of the scaphoid.
Surgical Technique The test should be performed both in the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints. Traction
is released and the arthroscope is set under the lunate when tested in the radiocarpal
joint and on the lunate when tested in the midcarpal joint. The scaphoid is manually
pushed dorsally at the scaphoid tubercle. If there was no scapholunate instability,
all the proximal row bones are minimally displaced: a negative test. If there was
scapholunate instability, the scaphoid is displaced dorsally while the lunate remains
static: evaluated as positive.
Clinical Relevance This test can add information to the arthroscopic classifications of the scapholunate
instability, which explore both the proximal to distal displacement of the scaphoid
(the step-off) and the ulnar to radial displacement (the gap), as this test explores
the volar to dorsal displacement.
Keywords
scapholunate instability - scapholunate ligament - wrist arthroscopy - carpal instability
