Awajimijan Nathaniel Mbaba, Michael Promise Ogolodom, Chidinma Wekhe and Beatrice Ukamaka Maduka
Lunotriquetral coalition refers to fusion of the lunate and triquetrial bones of the wrist and is the most frequent type of carpal coalition. Carpal coalition is rare and is considered a normal anatomic variant. It is frequently asymptomatic and often discovered as an incidental finding. Nonetheless, lunotriquetral coalition is a recognized cause of wrist pain. Highest prevalence of carpal coalition has been observed in blacks especially of West African descent. In this paper, we present two cases of lunotriquetral coalition discovered incidentally in patients who presented for plain radiographs of the hand for unrelated reasons, to highlight this congenital defect which can easily be missed by an uninformed radiologist. We also reviewed related literature in order to evaluate the features of this type of defect, as well as its significance to clinical practice. Radiography is an important tool to diagnose this anomaly. Awareness of this normal soma cheap variant of the carpal bone as a potential cause of medial wrist pain is imperative to accurate diagnosis and management of this condition.
