Wrist and hand injuries

Wrist and hand injuries are common occurrences. These are often caused by a fall on the outstretched hand, but other mechanisms, from sports-related injuries to high-speed motor vehicle collisions, can lead to injuries that may be subtle on initial imaging or may produce characteristic radiographic findings. In all cases, careful attention to certain anatomic details along with a sound understanding of different injury patterns should allow an accurate diagnosis to be made. The following this article illustrates these concepts, emphasizing features that should be familiar to both radiologists and orthopedic surgeons.