Imaging of Hand and Wrist Trauma

Imaging of the hand and wrist has been a staple of radiology,beginning with the first performed radiograph of Dr. WilhelmRoentgen’s wife in 1895. The first clinical radiograph wasperformed 1 year later for wrist trauma and depicted a Colles’fracture [1]. Injuries to the hand and wrist reportedly accountfor approximately 20% of visits to the emergency department[2], totaling approximately 3.5 million hand and wrist injuriesin 2009 with an incidence of 1130 injuries per 100,000persons per year in the United States [3]. Evaluation of the hand and wrist can involve assessmentof as many as 29 bones and 29 joints. The ability of the handto perform delicate maneuvers requires coordination of thesebones, along with numerous ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Hand and wrist injuries can be associated with substantialdisability and morbidity. They may carry long-term socialand economic consequences, particularly if the diagnosis isinitially missed or if treatment is delayed.