Terry-Thomas sign
Updates to Article Attributes
The Terry-Thomas sign refers to an increase in the scapholunate space on an AP radiograph of the wrist (or coronal CT). The increased distance indicates scapholunate dissociation (often with rotary subluxation of the scaphoid) due to ligamentous injury. There is no consensus as to what measurement constitutes widening, but a cut-off of 3 or 4 mm is reasonable in most cases.
History and etymology
The American orthopaedic surgeon Victor H FrankelI named this sign after the well-known British comic Terry-Thomas (1911-1990), who had a frontal dental diastema (a visible gap between his two maxillary central incisors) 1.
Terry-Thomas gave permission for his name to be used. The comedian added the hyphen between his two names as he disliked being called Mr. Thomas, and it was more distinctive 3. It was may also be known as the David Letterman or Madonna signs for the same reason.
-<p>The <strong>Terry-Thomas sign</strong> refers to an increase in the scapholunate space on an AP radiograph of the wrist (or coronal CT). The increased distance indicates <a href="/articles/scapholunate-dissociation">scapholunate dissociation</a> (often with rotary subluxation of the scaphoid) due to ligamentous injury. There is no consensus as to what measurement constitutes widening, but a cut-off of 3 or 4 mm is reasonable in most cases.</p><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>The American orthopaedic surgeon <strong>Victor H FrankelI </strong>named this sign after the well-known British comic <strong>Terry-Thomas</strong> (1911-1990), who had a frontal dental diastema (a visible gap between his two maxillary central incisors) <sup>1</sup>.</p><p>Terry-Thomas gave permission for his name to be used. The comedian added the hyphen between his two names as he disliked being called Mr. Thomas, and it was more distinctive <sup>3</sup>. It was may also be known as the <strong>David Letterman </strong>or<strong> Madonna signs</strong> for the same reason.</p>- +<p>The <strong>Terry-Thomas sign</strong> refers to an increase in the scapholunate space on an AP radiograph of the wrist (or coronal CT). The increased distance indicates <a href="/articles/scapholunate-dissociation">scapholunate dissociation</a> (often with rotary subluxation of the scaphoid) due to ligamentous injury. There is no consensus as to what measurement constitutes widening, but a cut-off of 3 or 4 mm is reasonable in most cases.</p><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>The American orthopaedic surgeon <strong>Victor H FrankelI </strong>named this sign after the well-known British comic <strong>Terry-Thomas</strong> (1911-1990), who had a frontal dental diastema (a visible gap between his two maxillary central incisors) <sup>1</sup>.</p><p>Terry-Thomas gave permission for his name to be used. The comedian added the hyphen between his two names as he disliked being called Mr. Thomas, and it was more distinctive <sup>3</sup>. It was also known as the <strong>David Letterman </strong>or<strong> Madonna signs</strong> for the same reason.</p>