The Dorsal Capitate Displacement Apprehension Test primarily assesses the integrity of which structures?

• A. Ligaments attached to the capitate
• B. Scapholunate interosseous ligament
• C. Dorsal radiocarpal ligaments
• D. Palmar ligaments of the lunate

Answer: (A)

The test is meant to probe the stability provided by the ligaments that attach to the capitate. The capitate sits at the center of the carpal bones and is held in place by dorsal ligaments that connect it to neighboring bones and to the radius. When you apply dorsal pressure to the capitate during this maneuver, you stress those capitate-attached ligaments. If they’re torn or lax, the capitate can shift dorsally and the patient may show apprehension or reproduce pain, signaling injury to the structures that stabilize the capitate.

That helps explain why the best answer points to ligaments attached to the capitate—the test specifically targets the restraints anchoring the capitate in place. The other options involve ligaments that either aren’t the primary stabilizers tested by this maneuver or are on the opposite (palmar) side, so they’re less relevant to this specific assessment.