Extended and weight bearing wrist MRI using a positioning apparatus and flexible glove coil to explore the cause of dorsal pain

Dorsal wrist pain during extension or weight bearing is a common symptom, the etiology of which often remains unclear. Clinical MRI often fails to reveal causative pathology in part because it is performed in the neutral position. We built an apparatus to guide motion and used a flexible coil to capture signal in a range of positions that better match the conditions during which pain is reported. Results in nine asymptomatic volunteers show excellent tissue structure delineation, strong measurement agreement among readers, and increases in dorsal capsule thickness and radiocapitate, radiolunate, capitolunate and extensor tendon angulation during weight bearing.