Incidence of bilateral scapholunate dissociation in symptomatic and asymptomatic wrists.

Purpose: Scapholunate dissociation (SLD) is thought to be a common cause of both acute and chronic wrist pain. Classically, this condition is attributed to a traumatic event and is thought to inevitably lead to the development of degenerative arthritis. Bilateral findings should thus be infrequent.

Obvious radiographic scapholunate dissociation: X-ray the other wrist.

Obvious radiographic scapholunate dissociation seen on plain radiographs may seem to establish the diagnosis in a patient who presents with wrist pain. This diagnosis, however, is based on the assumption that scapholunate dissociation is caused only by trauma. In questioning this assumption, we present 6 cases of obvious radiographic scapholunate dissociation with similar radiographic findings in both wrists.