Arthrokinematics of the Distal Radioulnar Joint in the Normal Wrist and Following Distal Radius Malunion
Contact patterns in the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) are not well understood for normal anatomy or with distal radius deformity. This thesis presents three studies which investigate the arthrokinematics of the DRUJ for these conditions. The first study compared casting and Tekscan, two standard methods for contact measurement, with a novel technique of proximity mapping termed Inter cartilage Distance (ICD) The relative benefits, limitations and role for ICD in DRUJ contact assessment were examined and discussed. The second study used ICD to characterize contact patterns in the native DRUJ. Contact was found to be maximal in 10deg of supination and the contact centroid moved volar and proximal with supination. The third and final study evaluated the effect of dorsal angulation deformity on DRUJ arthrokinematics. The contact centroid moved volarly, while simulated triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) rupture reduced DRUJ contact area and caused the centroid position to become more variable in its pathway.