Analysis of load distribution among wrist after limited carpal fusion

Limited Carpal Fusions are common operations that are preformed after wrist pathologies. A lot of studies were made about Limited Carpal Fusions. In the studies cadavres, experimental models made by bone or bone like materials and computerised models were used. In the studies that are made about Limited Carpal Fusions; changes of load distribution among wrist, clinical results, comparisons and the effects of different implants over union after fusions were analysed. Lots of questions were answered by means of biomechanical studies but there are still many points to clarify. The purpose of this thesis is to find some answers to the points that were not viewed yet about load distribution after Limited Carpal Fusions. In amount of biomechanical studies; the changes in the pressures at joint spaces after fusions were observed. But the changes in load distribution of ligaments have never been observed. In some other studies, the clinical results of different implants that are used in fusions were analysed. But the effect of implant removal in load distibution among wrist has not been investigated yet. In this thesis we performed a two-dimension computerised model using SAP 2000 program. First of all we had a model of healthy wrist. In tension model of healthy wrist we measured the loads of the ligaments. Than we measured the loads that came to radius and ulna in pressure model. After finishing measurement in healthy wrist model, we had models of Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid Fusion, Four Corner Fusion and Capitohamate Fusion with implants. We measured the loads again in every model. After that we had models of three fusions without implants and we repeated measurements in these models. This thesis is the first study that, the load distributions of wrist ligaments are observed after Limited Carpal Fusions. Also it is the first study in which the effect of implant removal over load distribution is observed after fusions. We found that our results are similar to the ones at the literature and also similar to the results of three-dimensional computerised models. This shows us that our model works. Key words: Carpal, fusion, load distribution, instability, ligament.