Arthroscopic management of scapholunate instability

Scapholunate ligament tears cause chronic instability leading to SLAC. Wrist arthroscopy allows to see the lesions, even at an early stage, and to treat them with a simple K-Wires fixation in acute cases. Patients were treated on an outpatient basis with tourniquet and under regional anaesthesia. In acute cases, the scapholunate dissociation was reduced by external and internal manoeuvres. The fixation was done with pins under arthroscopic and fluoroscopic control. In chronic lesions, after wrist arthroscopy check, an electrothermal shrinkage can be performed in some cases. An arthroscopic classification was created with 4 grades. Wrist arthroscopy is the best technique for early diagnosis, and assures the best functional results.