INTRODUCTION: The anterior oblique ligament is one of the main stabilizers of the trapeziometacarpal joint. Insufficiency of this ligament is closely linked to degenerative joint disease. High-resolution musculoskeletal ultrasound has advantages over magnetic resonance imaging (availability, dynamic nature, cost, patient comfort). This study evaluates the feasibility of ultrasound of the anterior oblique ligament.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten cadaveric thumb specimens and 10 volunteers with normal trapeziometacarpal joints underwent imaging with high-frequency ultrasound. An ultrasound-guided, progressive dissection technique was used to confirm the ultrasound findings. Two radiologists reviewed the images in consensus. The detectability of the ligament was rated.
RESULTS: The anterior oblique ligament was identified and measured in 90% of the specimens and 100% of the volunteers. The ultrasound findings correlated well with the dissections. This ligament appeared as a thin hypoechogenic structure in the ulnar-most part of the trapeziometacarpal joint, with a thickness that varied from 1.0 to 2.0 mm. Detectability of this ligament was good in 66% of the specimens and 100% of the volunteers.
CONCLUSION: Ultrasound evaluation of the anterior oblique ligament of the trapeziometacarpal joint is feasible with state of the art equipment.