Ulnar variance in carpal instability

Abstract

Ulnar variance was measured in wrist conditions of patients with carpal instability and compared to values obtained from the assessment of normal wrist x-ray films. The results showed a significantly greater amount of negative ulnar variance in patients with scapholunate dissociations than in normal controls (t-test, p less than 0.0005; chi-square test, p less than 0.02). Ulnar variance in lunotriquetral dissociations and old scapholunate dissociations with arthrosis did not differ significantly from controls (p greater than 0.6). Posttraumatic scapholunate dissociations do correlate with negative ulnar variance.