Evaluation of Normal Ranges of Wrist Radiologic Indexes in Jordanian Population

Abstract

Background The wrist is a complex joint that plays a role in several everyday tasks. Various radiological indices have been created to assess the alignment and structure of the wrist using standard X-ray images. Nevertheless, these indicators may differ based on variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, handedness, and wrist position. This research aimed to assess the radiological indices of the wrist in a group of healthy people from Jordan and investigate the impact of age and gender on these indices. Methods We obtained data from a sample of 385 patients who presented at our hospital with minor non-specific wrist pain and satisfied the specified criteria for inclusion. We conducted measurements of radial inclination, radial height, volar tilt, ulnar variance, and carpal height ratio using both anteroposterior and lateral views of the wrist. We used linear regression and independent sample t-test to examine the correlation between age, gender, and radiological indicators. The reliability of the measurements was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results Our study revealed a negative correlation between age and carpal height ratio (r = -0.13, p = 0.03). However, no significant gender differences were seen in any of the radiological indices (p > 0.05). Our findings indicate that ulnar variance had the greatest level of reliability across observers, with an intra-observer intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.95 and an inter-observer ICC of 0.8. Conversely, volar tilt exhibited the lowest inter-observer reliability, with an ICC of 0.1. Our results provide a valuable point of reference for the wrist morphology and alignment in the Jordanian population. Our suggestion is that the carpal height ratio might indicate alterations in the wrist joint due to aging, whereas ulnar variation may serve as a dependable indicator of wrist alignment. We suggest doing more research to investigate the biological and anatomical factors behind these results and to compare them with other demographic groups.