Radiographic studies of the wrist and elbow in cerebral palsy

We retrospectively studied and evaluated radiographs of the bilateral wrists and elbows in 96 patients with cerebral palsy. There were 55 patients (57.3%) with athetospastic quadriplegia, 30 (31.3%) with spastic diplegia, and 11 (11.4%) with spastic hemiplegia. Plain antero-posterior and lateral roentgenograms were taken of both wrists and both elbows. Overall negative ulnar variance was seen in 18.2% of wrists, and, the variance was highest in athetospastic quadriplegia. We could not find any case of Kienb?ck's disease. The radiolunate angle was negative in the wrists of those with athetospastic quadriplegia. Scapholunate dissociation was found in 2 wrists (1%). Four dislocations of the radial head were found in 2 patients (2%). The humero-radial distance and humero-ulnar distance were both narrowed. The formation of osteophytes was mainly found in the humero-ulnar joint, especially in those with athetospastic quadriplegia. Received for publication on April 16, 1999; accepted on Nov. 2, 1999