MRI EVALUATION OF WRIST JOINT PATHOLOGIES IN PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH CHRONIC PAINFUL WRIST.

Abstract

Background: MRI is an efcient approach for assisting in the diagnosis of chronic wrist pain. Due to its high resolution, multiplanar imaging capabilities & no use of ionizing radiation, MRI is useful for evaluating different ligaments, tendons, carpal tunnel, articular cartilage, and bone marrow in wrist joint. MRI is useful in the identication, characterization, and staging of osseous damage and illness. This is Material & methods: cross sectional descriptive study performed in tertiary care hospital during year 2021-22. In this study, 50 patients presenting with chronic wrist pain without trauma underwent MRI wrist. Wrist joint & its pathologies in these patients were evaluated on 3T MRI scanner. In this study Results: 20% cases were diagnosed with tendinitis followed by 18% cases were diagnosed with Tenosynovitis, 16% cases with Ganglion cyst, 10% cases with carpal tunnel syndrome, 8% cases with degenerative TFCC tear, 6% cases with RA, 4% each cases with GCT, Gout, Osteoid osteoma and TB arthritis respectively and 2% each cases were diagnosed with infective arthritis, Kienbock's disease and simple osseous cyst respectively. Conclusion: 1) MRI wrist joint with 3D imaging is a radiation free imaging technique which is very useful in diagnosing different pathologies of wrist joint. 2) MRI is important modality to diagnose precisely the various non traumatic pathologies of wrist joint causing chronic pain. 3) It is a radiation free technique which is very helpful for the conclusive diagnosis & further treatment of the patient.