Which direction does the lunate most commonly subluxate?

Which direction does the lunate most commonly subluxate?

• A. Posterior
• B. Anterior
• C. Medial
• D. Lateral

Answer: (A)

In a wrist that’s driven into extreme hyperextension, the dorsal ligaments give way first, allowing the lunate to slip backward relative to the radius. That dorsal disruption lets the lunate displace posteriorly, making posterior the most common direction for lunate subluxation. Anterior (volar) dislocations are less common and tend to have different clinical implications, but the usual pattern seen in practice is a posterior shift of the lunate on imaging.

In a wrist that’s driven into extreme hyperextension, the dorsal ligaments give way first, allowing the lunate to slip backward relative to the radius. That dorsal disruption lets the lunate displace posteriorly, making posterior the most common direction for lunate subluxation. Anterior (volar) dislocations are less common and tend to have different clinical implications, but the usual pattern seen in practice is a posterior shift of the lunate on imaging.