Hye Jung Choo MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Sun Joo Lee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Young Mi Park MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dong Ho Ha MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Seon-Jeong Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ok Hwa Kim, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The exact evaluation about the ligaments supporting the carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) of the thumb is not easy on MRI, because the ligaments in the 1st CMCJ are complicated and the 1st CMCJ rests in a pronated and flexed position relative to the plane of the CMCJ of the other fingers. In this study, the ligament complex in the 1st CMCJ was evaluated by using 3D isotropic T1-weighted fast spin-echo (3D T1 FSE) indirect MR arthrography.

Three-dimensional T1 FSE indirect MR arthrography of the wrists was obtained from 26 patients (11 women, 15 men, and mean age, 39.9 years) without abnormality in the 1st CMCJ. On the reformatted axial, coronal and sagittal MR images according to the plane of the 1st CMCJ, the visibility, signal intensity, and thickness of the dorsoradial ligament (DRL), posterior oblique ligament (POL), superficial anterior oblique ligament (sAOL), deep anterior oblique ligament (dAOL) and ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the 1st CMCJ were evaluated by two musculoskeletal radiologists in consensus.

The DRL, POL, and dAOL were visualized in all the patients (100%), whereas sAOL was visualized in 12 (46%) and UCL in 24 (92%). The DRL showed low signal intensity in 77% of the patients, POL intermediate signal intensity in 77%, dAOL intermediate signal intensity in 100%, and UCL striated appearance in 83%. The POL was the thickest ligament (mean thickness, 2.3 mm; range, 1.7–3.4 mm) and the sAOL was the thinnest ligament (mean thickness, 0.5 mm; range, 0.4–0.8 mm).

The multiplanar reformatted 3D T1 FSE indirect MR arthrographic images according to the plane of the 1st CMCJ provided the high visibility and the detailed information about the ligament complex of the 1st CMCJ.

The multiplanar reformatted 3D T1 FSE indirect MR arthrographic images provided the high visibility and the detailed information about the ligament complex of the 1st CMCJ.

Choo, H, Lee, S, Park, Y, Ha, D, Kim, S, Kim, O, Ligament Complex in the Carpometacarpal Joint of the Thumb: Assessment Using 3D Isotropic T1-weighted Fast-spin Echo Indirect MR Arthrography.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14012094.html