Delayed diagnosis of scapholunate ligament injury

Problem. Undetected scapholunate ligament instability often leads to severe degenerative osteoarthritis of the wrist. Therapy. If the injury is diagnosed early, complete restitution is possible after ligament repair. In cases of delayed diagnosis there are various forms of damage to the wrist. Depending on the clinical findings there are reconstructive options to preserve function or salvage procedures to limit further osteoarthritic complications. In theory, total wrist prostheses can be an option in severe cases; however, in most cases total wrist arthrodesis and denervation are chosen for treatment.