Variations in the skeletal morphologic features of the wrist.

Abstract

Increased attention to and interest in the wrist and the field of hand surgery has brought about the discovery, rediscovery, and better description of variations in the skeletal morphologic features of the hand and wrist. In the second through fifth carpometacarpal joints, the fourth carpometacarpal articulation is the area of greatest variability. In the midcarpal joint, the scaphotrapeziotrapezoid and the capitolunate (hamate) articulations are areas of considerable variability in their skeletal morphologic features. New knowledge and awareness of variations in skeletal morphologic features in the carpus offer a better understanding and the opportunity to revisit various injury patterns and/or orthopaedic problems, and normal kinetics and kinematics to assess the effect and any differences that may be related to these different skeletal morphologic features.