The Natural Progression of Scaphoid Instability

Wrist injury or repeated wrist sprains probably result in injury to the scapholunate ligament more commonly than previously recognized, which may allow abnormal scaphoid skid under load. This results in a common clinical entity termed DWS. Scaphoid instability is a spectrum condition ranging from minor, asymptomatic findings (seen in 20% of normal adults) through symptomatic findings in patients with normal radiographs to abnormal instability on radiographs, to degenerative change, and, ultimately, to SLAC wrist (see Fig. 1). Appropriate diagnosis and management of each of these wrist disorders are highly dependent upon a keen understanding of normal periscaphoid anatomy as well as the anatomic derangements that occur within the wrist that predispose a given patient to subsequent degenerative changes. With that understanding, the appropriateness of conservative therapy, SL exploration and arthroplasty, ligament repair, triscaphe arthrodesis, or SLAC reconstruction can be readily determined in each case.