Influence of Indenter Size and Wrist Posture on Transverse Carpal Ligament Stiffness

This study investigated how indenter size and wrist posture influence the stiffness of the transverse carpal ligament using intact cadaveric wrist specimens. Indentation testing revealed that TCL stiffness varies significantly with wrist posture and indenter geometry, with wrist extension producing the greatest stiffness and smaller indenters producing larger displacements. Following indentation, excised TCL samples were subjected to controlled tensile testing to characterize intrinsic ligament material properties. The results suggest that TCL mechanical behavior is highly dependent on both boundary conditions and loading configuration, with important implications for carpal tunnel mechanics, clinical assessment of carpal tunnel syndrome, and the design of manipulative treatment strategies.