EXPLORING THE ANATOMY OF DORSAL RADIOCARPAL LIGAMENT OF THE WRIST AND ITS ULNAR PART: A CADAVERIC STUDY A. Jariwala, * K. Khurjekar, * S. Whiton † and C. A. Wigderowitz * * Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery TORT Centre, Ninewells Hospital Dundee, Scotland DD1 9SY, UK † St Andrew’s Medical School Medical and Biological Sciences Building North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK Received 20 March 2012; Revised 10 June 2012; Accepted 11 June 2012 ABSTRACT The current study aimed to explore the anatomy of the dorsal radio-carpal ligament (DRC ligament) and to investigate the presence and histological structure of ulnar part of the DRC ligament. Twenty cadaveric wrist joints were dissected and attachments of the DRC ligament and the newly described ulnar part of the DRC ligament were identified and noted. Samples of both ligaments were sent for histological examination. The DRC ligament was identified in all 20 specimens with type I Mizuseki arrangement of fibres seen in 60% of wrists. The ulnar part of the DRC ligament was successfully identified in 18 of the 20 wrists. The histological observation of the ulnar part of the DRC ligament showed the highly uniform arrangement of collagen bundles typical of ligaments. This study explores the anatomy of the DRC ligament and confirms the presence of the ulnar part of DRC ligament through histological analysis not undertaken in previous studies. Keywords : Cadaveric Study; Dorsal Radiocarpal Ligament; Ulnar Part of Dorsal Radiocarpal Ligament; Dorsal Radiocarpal Ligament; Anatomy of Wrist Ligaments; Superficial Part of Dorsal Radiocarpal Ligament. INTRODUCTION The dorsal radiocarpal ligament (DRC ligament) is an im- portant stabiliser of the wrist. 1 The ligament may be damaged in traumatic falls on the hand and may require surgical repair (reconstruction, synovectomy or arthrodesis). The detailed anatomy of the dorsal ligaments has been described by a number of investigators but it is found to vary widely. Generally, the DRC ligament arises from the radius on the ulnar side of Lister’s tubercle, running obliquely to the dorsal surface of scaphoid, lunate and triquetrum. 13 Mizuseki and Ikuta 3 studied the DRC ligament in detail and classified it into four types according to its anatomical attachments, type I being the most common with ligamentous fibres originating from the distal radius and attaching to the lunate and Correspondence to: Dr. A. Jariwala, Clinical Lecturer and Specialist Registrar, University Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, TORT Centre, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland DD1 9SY, UK. Tel: (þ44) 13-8242-5746, Fax: (þ44) 13-3249-6200, E-mail: ajariwala@dundee.ac.uk Hand Surgery, Vol. 17, No. 3 (2012) 307310 © World Scientific Publishing Company DOI: 10.1142/S0218810412500220 307