Assessment of 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging in Madelung’s deformity: findings and implications

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of Madelung’s deformity. Materials and methods The wrist MRI scans of 19 patients clinically diagnosed with Madelung’s deformity and 20 patients without deformity were consecutively selected from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between April 2019 and December 2022 for observation, in the case group and control group, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors affecting tilting angle and width of central disc (CD, also termed as triangular fibrocartilage, the main component of triangular fibrocartilage complex), while the chi-square test was used to compare the occurrences of CD (radial) attachment displacement, VL, and RTL. p < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results Madelung’s deformity significantly contributed to the tilting and thickening of the CD. In the case group, the tilting angle and thickness of CD were (51.46 ± 1.33)° and (0.23 ± 0.01) cm, respectively, which was statistically significant ( p < 0.05); the radial attachment of the CD significantly shifted away from the distal articular surface level (χ 2 = 39.00, p < 0.001), with a mean displacement of (0.97 ± 0.38) cm. Furthermore, the cases demonstrated abnormally developed Vickers ligament (χ 2 = 35.19, p < 0.001) and radiotriquetral ligament (χ 2 = 25.66, p < 0.001). Conclusion MRI provides a notable advantage in diagnosing Madelung’s deformity. Compared with the control group, patients with Madelung's deformity exhibited tilting and thickening of the CD. Additionally, the radial attachment of the CD was significantly shifted proximally with abnormal development of Vickers and radiotriquetral ligaments.