Magnetic resonance imaging of ulnocarpal abutment syndrome

Ulnocarpal abutment syndrome (UAS) is the impingement between lunate and ulnar head. Twenty-two wrists of 19 patients were diagnosed as UAS arthroscopically after having undergone MRI examination. Ten wrists had MRI both before and after ulnar recession arthroplasty. Spin-echo pulse sequences were taken. T1-weighted and T2-weighted images were obtained. On T1-weighted images, the focal signal intensity of the ulnar part of the lunate was decreased in 18 wrists. On T2-weighted images, the focal signal intensity of the ulnar aspect of the lunate were from high to low in 18 wrists. There was focal and abnormal signal intensity of the triquetrum found in 10 wrists and was abnormal signal intensity of the ulnar head in two wrists. After the operation, on the T1-weighted image signal intensity of the lunate shifted from low through slightly low to iso. On the T2-weighted images it shifted from low to high or iso. Focal low signal intensity of the lunate on T1-weighted images is diagnostic of ulnocarpal abutment syndrome. The intensity of the signal from the lunate on T2-weighted images may indicate the severity of the disease. (author)