Normal X-rays can sometimes hide severe wrist trauma. If you are experiencing persistent wrist pain after a fall, you might have a Scapholunate Dissociation that was missed. In this episode of #LiveSurgeryTuesday, Dr. Alejandro Badia demonstrates how advanced dynamic testing makes all the difference in diagnosing this complex ligament tear.
We begin with a pre-operative consultation, using dynamic fluoroscopy (live X-ray) to watch the wrist bones move in real-time. As arrows on the monitor indicate, when the patient clenches her fist, the crucial gap between the scaphoid and lunate bones opens wide, confirming the injury. Following this precise assessment, we move to the operating room, where Dr. Badia performs a wrist arthroscopy to directly visualize and confirm the full extent of the ligament tear.
The storyboard concludes with the successful surgical stabilization of the joint. Watch the step-by-step percutaneous pin fixation process: first stabilizing the scaphoid to the lunate, and then providing a second layer of stability from the scaphoid to the capitate. By holding these bones in perfect alignment, the ligament can properly heal. Follow the patient’s recovery journey from moving her fingers immediately after surgery, to pin removal at 6 weeks with minimal scarring, and finally showing full motion and being completely “happy” just 3 months later.
