The Anatomy and Basic Biomechanics of the Wrist joint

T he human wrist joint is an elegant mechanism that normally allows the hand to be positioned in space on the stable platform of the forearm. The wrist allows not only for the classic, or cardinal, motions of flexion, extension, radial deviation, and ulnar deviation, but also for limited longitudinal rotation, combined motions, and independent forearm rotation. Each of these motions normally enjoys a substantial magnitude of range, making the challenge of maintaining stability an even more difficult anatomic problem. Considerable effort is currently under way to increase our understanding of normal anatomy and normal biomechanics of the wrist, which is prerequisite to understanding pathomechanics and developing efficacious treatment plans. This article reviews certain basic features of wrist anatomy and applies them to a fundamental review of wrist joint biomechanics. Because this paper is not a comprehensive review, the reader is encouraged to explore these issues in greater detail with a more complete reading of the original references.