A guide to Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex anatomy & clinical assessment

[Extract]
The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a sophisticated ligamentous structure located on the ulnar side of the wrist.1
It is highly susceptible to injury, with a documented incidence rate as high as 78 percent in patients following distal radius
fracture.
A high prevalence is also found in people who play sports that involve repetitive or forced pronation/supination or axial loading of the wrist, such as golf, football, or baseball.4-8 The mechanism of injury can vary from low-energy trauma, such as repetitive overuse activities, to high-energy trauma, such
as a fall onto an outstretched hand (FOOSH). The TFCC has multiple roles, some of which include:
1) providing stability to the distal radioulnar joint
(DRUJ) during end range forearm rotation,
2) dispersing the forces generated between the ulnar
head and the carpal bones during weight bearing
or ulnar deviation, and
3) providing proprioceptive feedback during functional activities.