Sonography-Assisted Arthroscopic Resection of Volar Wrist Ganglia: A New Technique

Abstract

Although satisfactory arthroscopic resection of volar wrist ganglia has been reported recently, the risk of damage to arteries, nerves, and tendons remains. Furthermore, ganglia and their stalks cannot be visualized arthroscopically in many cases, and surgeons must perform a blind resection of the joint capsule until ganglion cysts or their stalks appear. Sonography has limited resolution, but recent improvements in hardware and software have made it an excellent noninvasive and dynamic imaging technique for assessing the musculoskeletal system. Ganglia, tendons, nerves, and vessels around the lesion can be clearly observed by sonography. Furthermore, the cyclic motion of the arthroscopic shaver tip makes identification by sonography easy and assists in guiding the surgeon to the lesion.