Background: We undertook this study to determine normal radiographic measurements of the wrist in healthy Mexican persons.
Methods: We performed 112 roentgenograms of healthy wrists, 56 left wrists and 56 right wrists, in normal adults with Mexican parents and grandparents who were born in Mexico. We made two projections: frontal and lateral views of the wrist sing a standard technique. Not included in the study were subjects with a history of wrist trauma, fractures or deformities. The measurement was done by two observers blinded to the study. We measured ulnar lengths, radial angulation, volar shift, volar tilt and dorsal shift.
Results: We found a mean in radial angulation of 36.5 degrees +/- 4.62 degrees , dorsal shift 22.84 mm +/- 3.23 mm, ulnar lengths -1.13 mm +/- 2.61 mm, radial tilt 17.98 degrees +/- 2.25 degrees and volar shift of 19.3 mm +/- 9.3 mm. No significant difference between the left and right wrist or in the dominant wrist was found. We found a correlation between radial angulation, radial tilt and dorsal shift, and the height with the dorsal shift. There were significant differences among men and women in the radial angulation, dorsal shift and volar shift.
Conclusions: There were differences in the radial angulation and radial tilt with respect to values reported in the U.S. and Sweden. In the ulnar lengths there were difference with respect to the values reported in Taiwan and Japan. Information regarding normal values in wrist measurements could be used as the normal reference value for the evaluation of surgical management and follow-up of the wrist.