Coalition of the carpal bones

Carlson, David

doi:10.1007/bf00347377

Cited by 40 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, the theory that carpal fusion represents an atavistic trait is unsupported by the hominid fossil record and is not consistent with comparative anatomic studies of past and present primate wrist anatomy [19]. Furthermore, the increased susceptibility of the coalesced wrist to fracture upon subjection to physical stress negates the likelihood that coalition serves to strengthen the carpus [2]. Thus, knowledge of the functional advantage offered by carpal coalition demands an enhanced understanding of carpal kinematics which is required to thoroughly grasp the evolutionary implications, if any, of this condition [30].…”

Section: Anthropological Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Carpal Coalition

DeFazio

Cousins

Miversuski

et al. 2013

Hand (New York, N,Y.)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Carpal coalition is a relatively common, yet poorly recognized, anomaly that may present independently or in association with syndromic or metabolic disorders. While largely asymptomatic, symptoms may manifest secondary to biomechanical stress at the site of fusion. The purpose of this report is to describe 103 cases of carpal synostosis and provide a review of the etiology, classification, and clinical significance of intercarpal fusion. Methods Retrospective review of medical and radiographic records was conducted on all patients with identified carpal coalitions, between 2008 and 2012, at our institution. Demographic and historical data regarding trauma, infection, documented joint disease, and prior wrist symptomatology were analyzed for each case, and radiographic evaluation of carpal alignment was performed. Results A total of 103 cases of carpal coalition, among 85 individuals, were reviewed. All cases presented asymptomatically with the highest proportion noted among individuals of African-Caribbean descent. The most frequent variant in our study population was lunate-triquetral coalition, which was present in 92 of the 103 identified cases. None of the cases evaluated in this study demonstrated clinical or radiographic evidence of carpal mal-alignment or instability. Conclusion The results of our investigation demonstrate that carpal coalition presented most frequently among individuals of African-Caribbean descent. While the prevalence of this condition has yet to be studied specifically in Hispanic and African-Caribbean populations, our findings may reflect the genetic linkage between these and certain West African populations. To our knowledge, this represents the largest clinical series of carpal coalition in the English literature.

show abstract

Section: Anthropological Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Carpal Coalition

DeFazio

Cousins

Miversuski

et al. 2013

Hand (New York, N,Y.)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The most widely used classification for carpal coalition is Minnaar's four-type classification (Table 2) originally described for lunate-triquetral coalition in 1952. However, it is not apparent that Minnaar ever intended to outline a classification scheme for carpal coalition, but rather, (Hughes and Tanner, 1966;Carlson, 1981). Of course, individuals with carpal coalition may exhibit lateral asymmetry in coalition type (e.g., Berkowitz et al, 1991;Ritt et al, 2001;Louaste et al, 2007), and non-osseous coalitions may demonstrate osseous union later in life (Cockshott, 1969) so the discovery of associated anomalies in Minnaar Type I or II coalitions is not unexpected.…”

Section: Developmentmentioning

confidence: 93%

Hamate‐pisiform coalition: Morphology, clinical significance, and a simplified classification scheme for carpal coalition

Burnett

2010

Clinical Anatomy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hamate-pisiform coalition is characterized by the abnormal union of the pisiform bone and hamulus of the hamate. Because most reported cases are isolated, and literature on the subject is sparse, relatively little is known about this condition and its clinical significance. The purpose of this report is to discuss the occurrence, morphology, and frequency of hamate-pisiform coalition identified in a skeletal sample of native South Africans, and to conduct a metaanalysis of all known cases in order to clarify the sex distribution, laterality, form, and clinical significance of this condition. Five new cases (three male, two female) of hamate-pisiform coalition were identified in 527 native South Africans. Results indicate that hamate-pisiform coalition is infrequent (0.76%) but may be more likely encountered in individuals of African ancestry. Morphologically, non-osseous examples ranged in appearance from minor expressions involving pitting of an expanded hamulus base, to a variably pitted articulation between an elongated pisiform and hamulus. Osseous union between the two bones tends to extend beyond the hamulus base to adjacent areas of the hamate. Cases involving osseous union appear predisposed to fracture while ulnar neuropathy is significantly more frequent in individuals exhibiting non-osseous coalition. As both non-osseous and osseous cases can have clinical significance, awareness of the variable manifestations of this condition is necessary for hand specialists. A simplified classification system is suggested to more consistently characterize carpal coalitions.

show abstract

“…Although in the Caucasian population the reported prevalence of 0.1% is routinely accepted as the best approximation [7,12,14], the true frequency of CC in the general population is largely unknown as many cases are asymptomatic and often remain undiagnosed. The most common type is lunate-triquetral synostosis, which accounts for around 90% of all cases in adults [14] and 69.2% of all cases in the paediatric population [39].…”

Section: Demographic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, a developmental failure occurs between the 4 th to 8 th week of embryonic life at the site of the future joint space, followed by chondrification of the articular interzone that causes lack of separation of two or more carpal bones [12,19]. The true preva-lence of CC in the general population is not well defined and estimates vary considerably across different ethnic groups [7,14,39,42]. In the vast majority of cases, CC represents an isolated, often asymptomatic, defect involving two adjacent bone elements of the same carpal row.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%